Fact and Fiction
by SiouxFan
Summary: AU-Set during Legacy of the Force, roughly during 'Tempest'. In less than one year, Jacen Solo goes from Jedi to warlord, and everyone waits until it is far too late to do anything about it. Before Jacen has truly made up his mind, Danni Quee and Tenel Ka Djo team up to save their friend and the galaxy. T for now; a more 'European T' for a couple of chapters.
1. Chapter 1--All bad things

A/N—This story was originally supposed to be a relatively short story, but I got the sudden idea to tie it into a longer one that I have been working on for over a year. I tried adding a bit of backstory to explain how our characters had gotten to where they are here, but I think the way I just 'plunk' you into Danni Quee's hotel room works better. It seems more...Star Wars-y this way.

**Chapter 1—All bad things...**

Danni was just pulling on her soft pink pullover sweater when the doorbell rang. Reaching out with the Force, she smiled as she sensed the unmistakably calm presence of Tenel Ka Djo. Plucking her Vong bracelet off of the bathroom countertop, she made way her way to the front door.

Her smiled faded away when she opened the door. Before her stood a tall woman with jet-black hair and two arms. Warily, she appraised the woman as she again reached out with the Force. Sensing her apprehension, the woman's grey eyes sparkled with mirth, "Yes Danni, it is I. May I come in?"

Opening the door wider, the blonde woman could not stop blurting out the obvious, "You have a mechanical arm!"

Giving her friend a wry look, Tenel Ka answered, "I do." She rolled up the left sleeve of her teal polo shirt to show Danni the sock at the top of the prosthetic that fit over what remained of her left arm. Gesturing at the sensors embedded in the cloth, "These sensors..." she explained while turning slightly to allow Danni to see the harness that ran across her back, "...and the ones running between my shoulder blades along my spine, allow a reasonable facsimile of real movement and allow some feeling."

Danni could see where the harness ran all the way across Tenel Ka's back, looping around her other arm. The curious scientist in her mind got the better of her, "May I look?" After her friend nodded, "This harness looks almost like a holster."

The Hapan woman nodded again, "I believe that is where they got the idea. The doctors _were_ rather curious when I told them I wanted a temporary prosthetic."

Danni raised the back of her friend's shirt to get a closer look. Curious, she ran her fingers along the skin underneath where the sensors were located and felt a small metal strip just below the skin on one of the Queen's vertebra. "The interface system?"

Again, Tenel Ka nodded, impressed with Danni's understanding of robotics. "Yes. There is a sensor just under the skin that looks exactly like the one on my harness and that is spliced into my nervous system." She could feel Danni move the sensor on her harness to take a look. The now black-haired woman continued, "The harness gives the arm decent stability, so I don't have to worry too much about what I can and cannot do with it. It is not as dexterous as a full-up prosthetic, but it serves its purpose rather well."

Danni snorted as she continued to examine the sensors, "And that purpose is?"

"Escape. There is a shortage of one-armed Jedi women in the galaxy. I cut my hair so that I can either color it quickly or wear a wig." With a half-shrug, she continued, "Combined with my new arm, I am able to disappear."

Her scientific curiosity quelled, Danni pulled Tenel Ka's shirt down. "Or maybe sing in a band?"

Tenel Ka spun around, "How did…" She stopped, seeing Danni's amused look.

"Gadell and I were at the Blue Oyster a few nights ago…" she paused, noticing the queen's satisfied smirk; the Queen Mother had been trying to set her up with her security chief for a couple of weeks now. Frowning, Danni continued, "It's not like that." Tenel Ka's smirk got bigger. With a loud sigh, the older woman continued, "Anyway, we were at the Oyster to watch Kenara's band, 'The One-Armed Bandits', play." Shooting her Hapan friend a knowing look, "Imagine my surprise when I sensed a familiar presence from the lead singer."

Tenel Ka tried, and failed, to keep from laughing. After a few moments, she sobered, "You didn't tell Gadell?"

"Are you kidding? He'd have a heart attack!" Danni smiled, "No, your secret is safe with me." Her smile turned predatory, "For now."

The Queen Mother tried to glare at her friend. "You would not…"

Danni interrupted, "And pass up a chance to blackmail royalty? I think not."

In mock seriousness, Tenel Ka chastised her friend. "It _is_ a treasonable offense to threaten the Crown."

Danni laughed as she shook her head. "Only if I am Hapan." Winking, she continued, "Besides, who would threaten a fancy hairpiece?" She paused, thinking for a second, "Speaking of Gadell; where are he and Allana, anyway?"

"They were going to grab a bite to eat and then return to the _Survivor_ for tonight."

Danni nodded. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Tenel Ka's expression turned serious. "Yes. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets."

"True." Danni agreed and looked at her chrono. "Okay, I'm supposed to meet him in about thirty minutes. We will come back here after dinner."

Her friend nodded. "I will be ready." The two of them had spent the last month intricately planning for tonight. It was time to save Jacen Solo from himself.

_(_)_

Only offering token resistance, Jacen allowed himself to be talked into coming back to Danni's hotel suite after dinner again; it definitely beat being by himself in his sparse apartment, and he enjoyed being with her. He liked her easy smile, and the way they could talk without her getting judgmental. To be sure, Danni often disagreed with him, but she always had logical reasons for why she thought him wrong. Not for the first time since she had entered his office that day, Jacen thought of just how much he missed having someone to talk to; everyone else either ignored him or was just out-right hostile. As they sat together on opposite ends of the couch watching some holo-drama, Danni was the first to break their comfortable silence, "Can you spend the night again?" Danni asked teasingly, an impish grin on her face.

"I'd better not. You know how the neighbors talk." Jacen replied warmly. He had spent the last couple of nights in her suite, the two of them sleeping in separate bedrooms. After spending so much time alone, both of them seemed to just enjoy being in each other's company and reveled in their shared friendship. Briefly, Jacen wondered what might have happened if he hadn't been so keen to wander the galaxy searching for…well, he still didn't really know what he went searching for. _Perhaps it is better to revel in what _is_ and not what might have been._ Shifting on the couch to be able to look at her directly, "I've sensed that you have been on edge. What's wrong?"

Danni refused to look at him as she took a deep breath. Staring out the patio door at the lights of Coruscant, she answered, "I've been meaning to ask you a question for the last few days, but I could never seem to find the right time." He furrowed his eyes, not sure where she was going with this. Danni sighed again, trying to brace herself for the storm certain to come as soon as she finished her next sentence. Trying in vain to stop her hands from trembling slightly, she answered in a whisper, "Why did you do it? Why did you kill Nelani?"

Jacen's eyes grew very wide. "What did you say?" His voice remained composed, but he clearly taken aback by her question.

The blonde astrophysicist had gotten off of the couch and took a couple of steps towards the patio door. "I know that you killed her. I just would like to know why."

Jacen stood, but remained in front of the couch. He said nothing as he watched Danni stare out into the night. This was it; _this_ was his sacrifice. He just never expected Danni to be the one. At that moment, Jacen realized that he _did_ love her. Perhaps not the way she wanted, or even deserved, but it was the truth just the same. No one, not even Tenel Ka, made him think things through the way that Danni Quee did, and he loved her for it. He felt his eyes moisten as he realized what he must do. _I'm so sorry, Danni. You will save the galaxy. _ Jacen looked down at the floor as he delved into the Force for some clue about what the future would hold. Strangely, the Force was silent this evening. Taking a deep breath he drew his lightsaber from his belt and drew it back as he prepared to ignite it. He looked up…

…Right into the muzzle of a blaster a meter and a half from his face. Danni had turned and drawn her holdout blaster so fast, that Jacen didn't even hear her move. Her positioning was perfect; she was too close for him to block a shot, and too far away for him to knock the blaster from her hand before she could fire. It was as if she expected this to come about. _Impressive._ He lowered his hand with the still unlit lightsaber down to his side. Danni backed up a pace, still keeping the blaster leveled at his face. She had gotten the drop on him once; she doubted that she could do it again.

Acidly, Danni spit out, "I've been dead for a decade; you'd be doing me a favor." She paused, taking a deep breath, "Are you planning on burying me in some unmarked grave as well?" For the second time that evening, Jacen furrowed his eyes together in confusion. Danni's tone stayed ice-cold, "Your quest to rule the galaxy ends here."

"I have no desire to rule the galaxy. I just want to make the future a safer place."

Danni shook her head slightly, "By killing Nelani?" Her tone got a little more desperate, "I've had visions, Jacen. I've seen you burn a planet, I've seen you dueling with Mara, I've seen you flying with Allana in your lap in a snub-fighter engagement…this _has_ to stop. _You_ have to stop. Now.

Jacen allowed a small smirk. He took on an air of condescension, "Don't believe all that you see, Danni. 'Always in motion, the fu….." His smirk disappeared and his tone became one of uncertainty, "…ture….. is." Every Jedi knew of Yoda's lesson to Luke Skywalker, but Jacen had never really taken time to think about what it meant. Until now. He killed Nelani because of a _possible_ future. His lightsaber slowly dropped from his hand as he backed a couple of steps into the wall behind him, clearly shocked. He raised his hands in front of his face, to look at them. His voice became a whisper. "What have I done?" His danger sense flared, and he looked up at Danni who still had her blaster pointed at his face, never sensing the person in the other bedroom with a large blaster pointed at his chest. A look of surprise flashed across his face as he felt an incredible icy pain coming from his ribcage. As his world faded to black, his last thought was…_Most impressive._

* * *

For a long moment, the suite was eerily quiet. Her gun-hand trembling slightly, Danni slowly lowered her blaster as she came to grips at the thought of aiming it at her friend. Finally, the Hapan Queen Mother stepped out of her hiding spot. "What took you so long?" Danni demanded of her friend, almost yelling. "He was _going_ to kill me." She looked over at Tenel Ka, her face contorted with rage. Using the Force, the one-time Jedi wrenched Danni's blaster from her hand, catching it with her prosthetic left hand, never lowering her own blaster as she did. Suddenly, Danni understood: Tenel Ka had _wanted_ Jacen to kill her. Idly, she considered calling Jacen's lightsaber to her, but realized that she would be dead as soon as she tried. Instead, she simply glared back at the grey eyes that were trying to burn her through.

"You've been _sleeping_ with him!" Tenel Ka screamed at her. "All this time, _you _were the one that I should have been worried about." Tenel Ka's voice became one of icy authority, "If I so much as even hear about you coming to Hapes, I _will_ have you killed."

"You think that I'd…" Something inside of Danni snapped. She was tired of having to prove herself to everyone. For the last ten years, she had tried to prove to the Yuuzhan Vong that not all the galaxy wanted them dead. She had tried to prove to the galaxy that the Vong were a race worth saving; trying to prove to the Alliance that her research on Zonoma Sekot was worth the credits they were spending; trying to prove to the Jedi Council that she could be both a scientist _and_ a Jedi. All of it for naught. Danni had concluded some time ago that not one of them believed her. The Vong and the galaxy at large would ever only have an uneasy peace; to the Alliance, she was 'out of sight, out of mind'; the Jedi ignored her altogether. She didn't know which one was worse. On top of everything, one of the three people whom Danni counted as friends had been on the verge of killing her; another had just threatened to do so if she ever saw her again. She was tiredof it all. Tired of _trying_. Using her anger that was roiling inside her mind, she mentally crumpled the memories of the last few weeks with Jacen into a ball and _threw_ them at Tenel Ka. _Here's your proof, bitch._

Tenel Ka staggered backwards with the onslaught of images: Danni and Jacen sharing pizza and breadsticks at Danni's suite; the two of them chatting on a park bench while watching the sunset; them together at the Symphony; sharing étouffée at a Mon Calamari restaurant, still wearing the same formal wear that they had on for the symphony; the tapas restaurant that Jacen insisted on going to earlier this evening. These earlier memories all shared the same ending: Jacen giving Danni a kiss on her forehead, never noticing her sad smile, before retiring for the night to the same bedroom that Tenel Ka had just vacated. She _felt_ Danni's heartache, felt her _longing_; felt her _wishing_ to be Jacen's love, but pragmatic enough just being Jacen's friend. She also felt her resolve: Danni was going to _save _Jacen, or die trying, as much for Tenel Ka and Allana as for herself.

Tenel Ka had never felt so ashamed. She had _heard_ Danni's comment when she _threw_ her memories, and realized that she deserved the sentiment. Why did she act so irrationally when it came to Jacen? Tenel Ka holstered her blaster and tossed Danni's back and watched as the older blonde caught it with casual grace. As Danni replaced her blaster into the spring-loaded holster on her right arm, Tenel Ka vowed to never question her loyalties again.

"All three of us have been lonely for far too long." Tenel Ka said softly, as a way of apologizing, "I should not be jealous because the two of you had an opportunity to spend time together. The galaxy is a lonely enough place, as it is." Danni said nothing, but gave her a quick nod.

Tenel Ka continued in hushed tones, "I do not think that he intended to strike you down."

Danni stared at her in disbelief. When she finally found her voice, it was filled with feelings of betrayal, "Then you weren't paying attention. He drew his lightsaber on me when my back was turned." She continued, her voice raw with emotion. "He thought me unarmed. He _was_ going to kill me." As a single tear traced down her left cheek, she continued, "Tenel Ka, how many more times are you going to make apologies for him? Until he tries to kill Allana?"

Tenel Ka shook her head, trying to ignore the last comment. "No. I've practiced with Jacen a great many times over the years. He is _much_ faster than that." She looked at Danni, certainty showing in her face, "I think that he wanted you to stop him."

Danni did not look convinced, but they did not have a lot of time to discuss this, so she merely shrugged as she walked over to where Jacen was lying prone on the floor. "Do you have the IV? We are going to need to keep him incapacitated for about the next thirty-six hours and the 'stun' setting on that blaster is only good for about twenty minutes." Tenel Ka nodded as she made her way back into the second bedroom. A few moments later, she came back with an IV bag filled with general anesthesia, enough to keep Jacen unconscious for forty-eight hours. She also was pushing a hover-chair with a medical kit in the seat, and had a blanket thrown over her shoulder. As she handed the IV needle to Danni, who had knelt next to Jacen on his left side, she noticed the older woman's hands were shaking slightly. Her eyes narrowed as she cocked her head to one side, "Are you sure you can do this?"

Danni took the needle from her, and took a deep breath. "I'll be fine. It goes away when I have to concentrate on something." She grabbed Jacen's left wrist and tapped it a couple of times, trying to find a vein. As his veins became visible, she used her left hand to keep his arm steady and took the cap off of the needle with her teeth. As she did this, Tenel Ka noticed that her trembling _did_ go away when she concentrated. Danni used her left hand to pull the skin on his wrist taut and gently inserted the needle with her right hand. When the small tube attached to the IV needle filled with a small amount of dark red blood, Danni was satisfied that she had found a vein. Attaching the line leading from the bag to the receiver end of the IV needle, she opened the valve to allow the anesthetic fluid to enter Jacen's bloodstream. Pulling a blood-pressure cuff from the med kit, Danni wrapped it around his right arm and inflated the cuff as she grabbed a stethoscope from the kit. After a few moments of listening to his pulse and checking his blood pressure, Danni remained convinced that he would remain out for the foreseeable future. More to herself than anything, she said quietly, "There. Sweet dreams, Mr. Solo."

Looking up at Tenel Ka, Danni asked, "You do have a blood pressure machine on your ship, correct?" Tenel Ka nodded. "Good. Keep an eye on his BP, checking it frequently. If it gets to low, close this valve a bit." She pointed at the plastic valve that controlled the amount of liquid flowing from the IV bag into Jacen's arm. "If it starts to climb, open the valve a little." Tenel Ka gave her another nod, this time a bit more apprehensively. Danni gave her a smile, "Don't worry, we'll make sure that he is properly sedated before you launch."

"Okay." Danni looked over at her red-haired friend and said as she stood up, "Care to give me a hand getting Mr. Deadweight here into the…" She stopped as Tenel Ka had already used the Force to pick up Jacen and guide him into the hover chair. Danni shrugged, arranging Jacen's arms a little so that he wasn't sitting on them, making sure that the IV line did not have any kinks and hung the IV bag from the hook raised on a thin pole at the back-left corner of the chair. "Huh, that was easier than I expected." Tenel Ka merely raised one eyebrow as she wrapped the blanket around Jacen's torso. "Okay, I forget about the Force sometimes!"

Danni walked into her bedroom and returned with a black cap with a gold interlocking 'CU' on the front. "It's my alma mater, the University of Commenor. I still don't know why it is 'CU' not 'UC'." _I'm babbling. Stop! "_Anyway… " She explained as she put the cap on Jacen's head, with the bill pulled down low. "It should help us avoid being recognized. You ready?" Again, Tenel Ka merely nodded. _She certainly gets quiet when preparing for a mission._ Making sure that she had her holdout blaster in place, and her room key, Danni opened the door to her suite and allowed Tenel Ka to push Jacen out into the hallway. They both hoped that _she_ hadn't caught Jacen's flare in the Force.

As they made their way down to the speeder, Tenel Ka noted that Danni stopped talking. As they got off of the turbolift, she gave a polite nod to the older couple waiting to get on. Through the Force, she caught the thoughts of the gentlemen: _How nice- this lovely young woman taking her husband out for an evening stroll before bed. _The elderly man gave Tenel Ka a sad smile and patted Jacen affectionately on the shoulder as he shuffled by._ Too many young people destroyed by the war. _ Tenel Ka turned and gavethe gentlemen a shy, sad smile.

Not using the Force, as the two women did not want to tip themselves off to anyone, they managed to get Jacen loaded into the speeder. The only difficulty was trying to fold the 'easily storable' hoverchair into the trunk of the speeder. "Do you sense anything?" Tenel Ka asked, as she got behind the wheel of her rental speeder.

"No, and that worries me a little." Danni replied as she settled into the passenger seat.

"Me as well." The Hapan said, as she maneuvered the speeder off of the parking ramp and into traffic. "Keep looking." Danni only nodded.

Driving through Coruscant's heavy traffic, both women nervously kept their senses expanded as far as they dared, hoping to catch a sense of whom they knew would surely be looking for Jacen by now. Neither of them said a word on the twenty-minute ride to the spaceport, they were both knew that they were most vulnerable to attack while in the speeder. Only once Tenel Ka's _Rock Dragon_ was in sight, did they visibly relax. "How long to do the preflight?" Danni asked as the speeder pulled alongside the ship.

"About twenty minutes." The queen replied, pulling the hoverchair out of the trunk. The blonde woman nodded as they maneuvered Jacen into the chair. Tenel Ka continued, "You get him situated in my cabin while I start the preflight." Again, the scientist nodded as she checked the IV tube and solution bag.

"I'll take care of him from here, you go get the ship ready." Danni said, as she moved to the back of the hoverchair and followed Tenel Ka into the ship, pushing the chair. The young queen took a left at the top of the ramp to make her way into the cockpit and pointed to her right down the corridor, indicating where her quarters were located.

When Danni found what she assumed was Tenel Ka's quarters, she was a bit taken aback. Not because of its grandeur, but because of its utilitarian design. It looked as though two interior walls had been removed, combining three separate compartments into one relatively spacious one. On the left wall, there were three military-issue wall lockers; on the right was a doorway leading to a private 'fresher, complete with shower. Against the back wall, centered in the compartment, was a queen-size bed, the frame of which looked as if it was originally from a mid-range hotel. A simple nightstand sat to the left of the bed, on which sat a blood-pressure monitor. Danni shrugged. She had gotten to know Tenel Ka fairly well over the last month, so she did not know why she thought that the _Rock Dragon _would be lavish.

Danni did not trust her levitation skills enough to move Jacen over to the bed without dropping him, so she awkwardly wrangled him onto the right side of the bed and positioned the hoverchair next to the bed to act as a stand for the IV bag. Next, she carefully removed Jacen's shirt; she wanted the blood pressure monitor to get accurate readings and she did not want his left sleeve to interfere with the IV. After divesting Jacen of his shirt, she proceeded to wrap the pressure-cuff around his right arm and started the machine to take a reading.

As the machine went through its procedure, the scientist proceeded to restrain her 'patient' using the seatbelts that she found under the bed. Everyone knew that you were _supposed_ to use proper restraints when in your cabin, just in case, but no one ever did. Idly, she wondered how many people used the belts for other purposes.

With an audible 'beep' the monitor finished its procedure, and Danni was pleased that Jacen's blood pressure had not changed much from her earlier reading. As long as his BP stayed where it was, he would be comfortably asleep for the duration of the _Dragon_'s 30-odd hour flight. She set the machine to take readings every twenty minutes and established an acceptable range for the readings. If any check of his blood pressure fell outside her prescribed range, the machine would sound an audible alarm to warn Tenel Ka that she needed to change the flow from the IV.

After Danni was satisfied that Jacen was as secure as possible, she took the blanket from the hoverchair and laid it over his body, placing his arms on top. Sitting by his side on the bed for a few moments, she simply watching his chest as it rose and fell rhythmically. As she affectionately mussed his too-short hair, she took hold of his left hand. _What happened to you, Jacen?_ Whispering, almost pleading, "Please don't leave me, Jacen. All of my friends are gone. You are all that is left." She felt her eyes start to water. "I don't know why you wanted to kill me." She wiped her eyes with her right hand, "I know that it wasn't really you." Danni plucked a piece of lint from his right cheek. "Tenel Ka will find the _real_ you; he's in there somewhere."

Danni's back was to the door, and she did not hear Tenel Ka stop at the doorway. Smiling sadly, she continued to caress Jacen's hand, "I know about you and Tenel Ka. She is a lovely woman, and Allana is adorable. You are a very lucky man." Behind Danni, the Hapan queen smiled slightly. "I know that we can never be, but I still need you in my life. Jacen, please, know that regardless of happens from here on out, I still love you." She watched him breathe for a few more moments, and then bent over to kiss his forehead.

As Danni looked over the settings on the blood pressure machine one last time, Tenel Ka said softly, "My preflight is complete-it is time for us to leave." Danni simply nodded, too emotional to trust her voice, as she turned and walked over to where her friend was standing.

Her voice trembling slightly, Tenel Ka tried to convey her appreciation, "Thank you for all that you have done, Friend Danni." The blonde's green eyes widened with surprise; she understood Dathomori customs well enough to know what her friend's syntax was meant to convey. Again, she merely nodded as she tried to pass by her friend and into the ship's central corridor. Before she could pass, Danni felt a hand on her arm. As she turned she saw the tears forming in Her Majesty's grey eyes. "I am sorry. For earlier. For…everything."

Danni gave her a small smile, and before she could react, found herself in a big hug. Caught off guard, she returned her friend's embrace. "It's okay. Just bring him back. _We_ need the real Jacen."

Tenel Ka released their embrace and held her friend at arm's length, and gave her a small nod. "That is a fact."

* * *

A/N: I know that anesthesia is usually administered as a gas; but I changed it here for the purposes of story-telling. Bonus points to those who recognize the emblem from Danni's 'University of Commenor' hat!


	2. Chapter 2--Becoming Solo

**Chapter 2—Becoming Solo**

Danni moved the rental speeder to a safe distance and watched as the _Rock_ _Dragon_ made its way into orbit. After the small freighter disappeared from sight, she drove towards where her ship, the _Belkadan Survivor_ was berthed, awash in wave of depression. Despite Tenel Ka's objection to the contrary, Jacen _had_ been on the verge of killing her earlier. There was no question that she loved him still, but she was deeply rattled by tonight's events and could not help but think that if perhaps she had not been so cautious all those years ago when it was clear Jacen had feelings for her, then none of this would have happened. Together, the two of them could have become the backbone of a more diverse Jedi Order; an Order that understood the keystone thought of academia: 'Why is the most important question of all'.

The blonde woman sighed again as a flood of 'what-if' thoughts stormed into her consciousness. _Stop it! This isn't helping_. Danni tried her best to hopeful that this plan of theirs worked, because it was about their last option to stop Jacen from his decent into...whatever he was sliding into. If his first love could not get him to change his path, Danni feared that they would be forced into killing their friend: a thought that left her chilled to the bone.

Danni was so lost in her dark thoughts that she did not notice that she had been sitting in front of the _Survivor_ for the last half-hour. Startled, she shut down the vehicle and made her way to her ship's boarding ramp, keying in the access code.

_(_)_

Sitting in the _Survivor's_ cockpit, his feet propped up on the engineer's seat, Gadell Vessau heard the ramp lower and put down his holozine and watched as his petite Commenorian friend entered the small cockpit. Commander Vessau's blue eyes became concerned as he gave Danni a scrutinizing glance; he was not sure what to expect after tonight's 'kidnapping' of Jacen Solo, but this was certainly not it: Danni was a wreck. Her green eyes were blood-shot, her hair was ratted out, and her face was as blank as a droid. All in all, it looked as if someone had ripped her soul out of her chest and left her a shell of a person. He stood up and slowly approached his friend, uncertain of her reaction. She neither moved nor acknowledged his approach.

Gadell risked a question as he peered into her vacant green eyes. "Did they get off okay?" Danni only nodded once and his frown deepened-what had happened to his Danni? The Danni who was always quick with a smile; the Danni who refused to be cowed. Not by the Vong, not by the Jedi, and not by the Queen Mother. _His Danni?_ _When did that happen?_ He stepped closer and slowly gave her a warm hug. Again, she didn't respond, but she didn't shy away either; he took that to be a good sign.

Keeping his arms around her thin frame, he asked gently, "Are you alright?" She only offered a small shrug, but moved slightly to place her head on his shoulder. Neither moved for a few minutes, she was content to let him simply hold her.

Gadell was the first to break the silence. "Look at us; a couple of lonely hearts."

Danni snorted quietly, "That's us. Both full of unrequited love." She felt Gadell stiffen at the remark. She pulled back from their embrace to look at him. "It's okay, I doubt anyone else knows how you feel." Danni paused, adding quietly, "Not even her."

Vessau's brows knitted together, "How did…"

Danni smiled knowingly, "I just know what to look for."

Gadell offered her a sad smile, "Yeah. At least you have memories of what once was." He paused, "Mine is a 'never going to be'."

Danni did not have any reply, so she simply gave him a hug to comfort him, just as he had done for her moments before. Only when she felt him return her embrace did she really notice that the cockpit they were standing in was _much_ different then when she had left the _Survivor_ on Hapes ten days before. In fact, it looked nothing like her ship at all. Upon returning to the Fountain Palace after her 'fact-finding' trip to Lorrd, Danni had made an off-hand comment that she needed to have the _Survivor's_ engines recalibrated before her trip to Coruscant. Tenel Ka offered to have the work done by her mechanic, and allowed Danni to use the _Rock Dragon_ to return to Coruscant for the purpose of keeping Jacen out of further trouble.

As she continued to glance around the cockpit, a small frown crossed her face; no it was _her_ ship, her access code had worked, she recognized the small crack in the center of the pilot's control yoke and her _Ex-gal_ challenge coin was hanging by its chain from the ship's compass. Sensing her confusion, Gadell chuckled, "Oh, we decided that since the _Survivor_ was already getting new engines, we might as well throw in a few more upgrades." His comment was practically dripping with understatement.

Danni released their embrace and looked at him sternly, she was not so dumb as to think that 'we' did not mean 'I'. "This is NOT a _few _upgrades..." She gestured to the instrument cluster, "...three digital attitude indicators with integral EHSI's? _Three_ interconnected hyperspace navicomputers? _Two_ gyroscopic internal nav units for atmospheric flight?" Pointing at the displays overhead of the engineer's table, "I'm afraid to even ask what kind of sensor systems that you've installed." She paused as his words finally registered, "What do you mean, _new _engines? I only wanted the old ones _calibrated_." Danni never was very good at accepting gifts; being one of only a handful of women in her chosen career had made her _very_ leery of gifts, especially from handsome men. And Gadell _was_ quite handsome; with those startlingly blue eyes and dark hair. Tapping into her indignation over _his _deciding that _her_ ship needed new engines or avionics, "When we get back to Hapes, I am having all of this ripped out." _So there_. The fact that the _Survivor_ actually needed the new avionics only added to her annoyance.

Commander Vessau only shrugged, "Tenna mentioned this is what your reaction would be." Danni could not help but smile, both at his use of the nickname that she doubted Tenel Ka would _ever_ let anyone else use, and at the fact that the Queen Mother knew Danni well enough to know that she would not like the _Survivor_ modified without her knowledge. His tone became more despondent as he stared over her head; "She has been lonely for a long, long time. Except for Colonel Solo, none of her Jedi friends seem to be interested in seeing her, and, as you've probably noticed, her relationship with Jacen Solo is a bit _awkward_ at the current time." Thoughtfully, Gadell continued, "You've become her friend, without even meaning to. Moreover, you are helping her help Jacen, all without asking anything in return. You made her realize that there are still people in the galaxy that she can _trust_." He smiled and looked at her again, "All-in-all, I would say that she still owes you."

Danni only shook her head, trying to contain her smile. "Well, at least you didn't add any laser cannons." Her mirth died off when she saw Gadell's guilty look. She squinted her eyes angrily, stabbing him in the chest with her index finger. "Commander Vessau, you had better not tell me that _you_ armed _my_ ship." Now she really was irate. After flying with the _Wild Knightz _against the Vong_, _she had no desire to engage in space combat again.

Gadell started staring intently at something on the floor. "Well, Tenna thought that they would be a wise addition, seeing as she was hoping that you would agree to let Allana travel with you occasionally." He paused and looked up, "Maybe on trips here to Coruscant to see her grandparents?"

It was, Danni decided, a rather low blow, the two of them using the Chume'da as a reason to arm the _Survivor_. However, she was extremely moved that Tenel Ka thought enough of her to allow Allana to travel with her. The blonde woman knew from experience how protective the Queen Mother was of her daughter; the bruise on her left arm still hadn't faded entirely. Danni continued to glare at her friend, but there was not any real anger behind it. "Don't think that I don't know blackmail when I see it."

The Hapan Naval officer only laughed. "Welcome to Hapan politics, Danni!"

Danni could only smile wryly. "Thanks." She turned to the communications suite located at the bottom right side of the engineer station. _Hmm…sensor station now, I guess. _"I'd better comm the Solos before it gets too late.

_(_)_

Propped up in bed, reading a datapad, Leia looked up as her husband came into the room. "Who was that?"

Han sighed as he sat at the foot of the bed, "Danni Quee." He paused, taking off his socks and throwing them in the direction of the clothes hamper. "She would like to stop by tomorrow morning; something about Jacen. I told her to come by at 0730." He looked over at his wife; she did not look at all surprised by his news. He was missing something, and Han _hated _being out of the loop. "You knew that her and Jacen have something going on?"

Leia merely raised one eyebrow. "I _did_ tell you that Jacen mentioned Danni at our meeting on the Plaza a few weeks back." Seeing her husband's shrug, "Jacen did not talk like there was 'something going on' though." She looked thoughtful, "Did she give any clues as to what it might be about?"

Now it was Han's turn to shake his head. "Nope." He grinned, "However, Threepio was thrilled. He loves being able to plan a meal; even if it is just breakfast."

_(_)_

As they exited the turbolift on the Solo's floor, Danni looked down at a very apprehensive-looking Allana. Together, the three of them, Allana, Gadell and herself started down the curved hallway. "Don't worry sweetie, Miss Leia and Mr. Han are about the nicest people that you will ever meet." Allana nodded, but Danni could tell that the Hapan Princess didn't really believe her. The blonde woman supposed that living your entire life in the Fountain Palace would make you more inclined to view strangers skeptically, despite the fact that, according to Gadell, it had gotten _loads_ better over the last ten years. As she squeezed Allana's hand in encouragement, Danni reflected that it was amazing that Tenel Ka could even venture out in public without having a breakdown.

Danni continued talking, more to give Allana something else to think about than anything, "Remember to shield your thoughts, just like we talked about, okay?" The red-haired girl merely nodded again, as her grey-brown eyes were scanning the hallway and it's recessed door openings. _She acts _so much_ like her mother sometimes, always observing and assessing._ Danni squeezed the girl's hand again and smiled, "I'll give you a little nudge in the Force, and then you can open up, _just a little,_ so that Miss Leia will understand why we are meeting her today."

Allana spoke for the first time since leaving the _Survivor_ forty-five minutes ago. "So Miss Leia will know Jacen's my daddy?"

Gadell nodded and answered, "That's right, sweetie. Leia'll be able to know without us having to say anything."

Allana nodded again. Even at five years old, she understood that the less spoken, the better. Grimly, Danni hoped that Allana's daughter would not have to learn the same lesson. Even if it was better than it used to be, Hapes still depressed the astrophysicist. Ever since college, she had become used to putting new ideas on a bulletin board for all to read; she doubted that she would ever get used to keeping secrets.

As they approached the door to Han and Leia's flat, Allana stopped, her lips starting to tremble, "What if they don't…"

Danni knelt down to look directly at Allana, interrupting before the girl could finish, "Shh…don't like think that. They'll _love_ you." She said softly as she offered Allana a warm smile and carefully dried the tear that was starting to form in the girl's left eye. Danni gave her a wink and stood up to ring the door chime and felt Allana hide behind her, grabbing her pant leg.

"Are you ready for this?" Gadell asked dryly.

Danni shook her head as she pushed the button and heard the chime ring in the flat. "No. But it won't be any easier later."

With that, the door to the flat opened and a gold protocol droid stood in front of the two. "Good morning! I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations!" The droid said in an amazingly cheery voice. "You must be Mistress Quee." Nodding fractionally in Danni's direction.

Danni could not help but smile, she had only met the famous C3-PO once, but he hadn't changed at all in the intervening years. She tried to match his formal tone, "I am. Allow me to introduce Commander Gadell Vessau, head of Palace Security for the Fountain Palace."

"Oh, it is a pleasure, Commander." Threepio offered a slight nod to the Hapan military man.

From inside the flat, Danni could hear someone coming down the stairs. Leia's voice rang out, sounding embarrassed. "Oh for crying…Threepio, please let out guests come in." Danni wasn't sure, but she thought for a second that Threepio had rolled his eyes at his mistress.

Before he could reply, Leia Organa-Solo nudged her way past her protocol droid and welcomed her guests. "Good morning, Danni, Commander Vessau." She nodded at each of them, her brown eyes sparkling with warmth. "Forgive Threepio, he is a bit eccentric." Her smile faded slightly when she saw a pair of grey eyes appear from behind Danni's right leg.

Her conversation with her son flashed back into her mind: Jacen had told her that he had been to dinner a few times with Danni and that he had helped her get some things for the Commenor Department of Records. He spoke warmly of her, but did not make it seem to be romantic. Leia suddenly remembered that her son and Danni _had_ dated for a time. Perhaps they picked up again while he was roaming around the galaxy. _Did they have a daughter? _

Leia quickly recovered, whatever had happened was in the past; and it could not have been easy for Danni to come out of the blue like this and introduce the girl to her grandparents. Pushing a warm smile onto her face, Leia crouched down, "Hello sweetie. What's your name?"

The Hapan Princess took a step from behind Danni, clutching her stuffed tauntaun, and made eye contact with the former Chief-of-State. "Allana."

Seeing the girl's red hair and regal bearing, Leia's smile faded a bit with confusion and Danni could almost see the thoughts running behind Leia's kind eyes. Suddenly, recognition clicked, and her smile returned. Only Tenel Ka could have a daughter that looked and acted as such, all of her fears that Jacen had left Danni pregnant on Zonoma forgotten. Risking a glance at Vessau, whom she assumed to be the girl's father, she noticed his striking smile as he watched the two princesses interact. The story of why he was here with Danni would be an interesting one, indeed. "Allana. What a pretty name! You look very much like your Mother."

_Okay Allana, open up. Just a little. _Danni sent to the little girl, hoping that Allana had that kind of control.

Leia was continuing, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm…" Her voice trailed off as her brown eyes widened in shock. Allana had opened up her Force presence, just a tiny bit, and Leia was amazed both at how strong her presence was, and at the girl's control. The Queen Mother had taught her daughter very well, indeed. Leia sensed something else, something lying just under the surface of Allana's Force signature: the unmistakable presence of her son. _Jacen._ Memories of Jacen flowed into her mind: memories of his unexplained absences, of his acting seemingly out of character about the Corellians, of him fighting the warmaster to save her life, memories of her and Han moving their kids around, trying to keep them safe. All these and more came flooding back into Leia's consciousness as she looked at her granddaughter. She felt a small tear trace down her cheek as she took Allana's small hand in her own. "…I'm Leia, your grandmother." With that, she wrapped Allana in a warm hug and closed her eyes as her granddaughter tentatively returned the gesture.

Gadell looked over at Danni, who was smiling down at the pair, he caught her eye and winked; they could not have planned this any better.

"Hey, are you guys coming in, or should we have breakfast in the hall?" Called an impatient Han from somewhere inside their flat.

Leia stood and rolled her eyes at Danni. Shouting back into the flat, "Heaven forbid we keep breakfast waiting!" Picking up Allana, she led everyone inside the comfortable residence. "Where are you? We have someone we'd like you to meet."

Han appeared from the study, ready with a retort when he saw his wife carrying a red-haired girl that looked suspiciously like Tenel Ka. His eyes narrowing in concentration, something else about Allana was vaguely familiar. Not taking his eyes off of the girl, who was, in turn, staring back at him, he asked sweetly, "Who's this?"

Leia looked back at the granddaughter in her arms, "This is Allana." She did not elaborate, seeing if Han could deduce who she was.

He smiled warmly at the lovely girl, "Hi Allana. You look just like you mother." He deadpanned, echoing Leia's statement of earlier. Still not taking his eyes off of the young girl, he added drily, "I'll bet that you get tired of hearing that." Allana only nodded as she continued to stare back at him. _Yep, Tenel Ka's kid. _Han Solo did not have the Force, but his powers of observation were still much better than most. Something clicked: he recognized her 'Solo' ears and the way that her hair was curlier than Tenel Ka's; but it was her eyes that sealed the deal. Their not quite grey color and the way they sparkled. Only two people he knew had the same sparkle of mirth in their eyes, even when totally serious: Leia...and Jacen. Beaming at his granddaughter, he took Allana from Leia, "C'mon kiddo, would you like to see some pictures of your daddy when he was your age?" Leia's heart melted. Despite his seemingly gruff exterior, she knew her husband was just a big softy. Han was probably mad at his son and Tenel Ka for keeping them in the dark, but he'd never let Allana know that.

Allana's eyes lit up as she grinned. "Yes." She and Han disappeared back into the study where he could be heard rummaging around to find the holocube with all of Jacen's childhood pictures.

Leia turned her attention back to her other guests. "Where are my manners? Please sit." Danni and Gadell both smiled and sat down together on the couch. "Thank the Queen Mother for me for allowing us to meet Allana." She got a faraway look as she stared at the far wall, her tone thoughtful; "It actually explains quite a bit." The former Chief-of-State shook her head, clearing away her thoughts, "Where is Tenel Ka, by the way?"

"She and Jacen are off on a 'date'." Danni offered vaguely.

"A date?" Leia's eyes narrowed with suspicion, she sensed that there was a _lot_ more to this story.

Gadell cleared his throat, "Her Majesty decided to take a page from your husband's playbook."

There was a brief pause, but Leia got the reference quicker than he would have thought. Lowering her head slightly in shock, "You're joking. Tenel Ka kidnapped my son? She took him to Dathomir?"

Gadell chuckled humorlessly, "The answer to the first question is 'Yes'." Leia only shook her head in disbelief. She would have never thought Tenel Ka to be so conniving. The Hapan continued, "As to the second: I can only speculate, as she did not inform me of her plan. However, Dathomir seems the most likely destination. Jacen knows what the customs are there, so he will not try to escape from her presence." Leia chuckled at this. Jacen would know better than to try to run from Tenel Ka there. Luke had made it clear to all of his students what happens to you when a Dathomiri woman captures you. "It will force them to have the conversations that they should have had ages ago."

Leia offered him a half smile. Jacen and Tenel Ka had been hiding from themselves for far too long. "I understand why Allana was kept secret from us." Leia tried to keep the sadness from her voice. She understood the need for secrecy; Hapes was never a friendly place for the Jedi; to have one both on the throne _and_ the heir-apparent would rankle many in the Consortium. Her thoughts once again traveled back to all of the times that her own kids were under threat. Yes, she understood, but she didn't necessarily _like _it. "The question is: why is she telling us now?"

Commander Vessau piped up, "Someone who is smarter than the rest of us," he nodded over at the blonde woman sitting on his right, "managed to talk both of them out of their self-destructive behavior." Danni opened her mouth to interrupt, but Gadell pressed on, "Danni re-taught the two of them that it is okay to trust your friends." He paused and looked the blonde woman in the eye, "That it is okay to _have_ friends. They've been too busy wallowing in their own loneliness."

Leia only allowed a small nod. Looking at the younger woman, "How did you manage to convince them?"

Danni smiled, "Well, Tenel Ka was actually pretty easy to convince." She gave Gadell a wink, "I think that she was already leaning in this direction, she just needed reassurance that this is the correct path." Danni turned her attention towards Leia, "As for Jacen, I never talked to him about Allana. To my knowledge, he doesn't know that I have even met her." She paused, as if thinking about the best way to phrase her next comment. "Jacen and I talked about other things."

Leia arched her eyebrows skeptically, "What sorts of _things_?" The emphasis she put on the last word was unmistakable.

The scientist only shrugged, she knew what the former Chief-of-State was insinuating, but she refused to be cowed by her. Leia would believe what she would. "The Force, the GAG…Anakin."

The older woman snorted, "Can you pick any more contentious issues to bring up with Jacen?" Shaking her head, "I'm sure that went well."

Danni just shrugged again, "It did actually." Elaborating, she continued, "Look, the key to 'arguing' with Jacen is to keep your emotion in check." She gave Leia a pointed look. "He _is_ your son; you taught him how to debate. If you have valid reasons and a logical argument, he will accept your point of view. He might not agree with it, but he will accept it." She shifted slightly and leaned forward, "But, once you say: 'This is _only_ way to do X.' or if you get angry simply because he disagrees with your point of view, he ceases to listen."

Leia smiled in spite of herself. The way Danni described her son sounded like one of the lessons her father had told her eons ago on Alderaan. She could still hear his distinguished voice in her mind: _Always keep emotion out of the debate. The individual who lets their feelings get the best of them will lose any and all debates_. Now that she thought about, Leia remembered giving the same lesson to Jacen and Jaina when she had caught them screaming at each other about some long-forgotten issue. They must have been eight at the time. Unlike Jaina, Jacen took the lesson to heart. Leia reflected that her son never lost another argument to his sister after that day. She shook herself out of her reverie. "It seems that I am in your debt, Danni Quee." She smiled sadly at the blonde woman, "You've done what the rest of us have been unable or unwilling to do: talk to Jacen Solo." Leia paused, disappointed both in herself and the rest of the Jedi Order. For people who prided themselves on helping others, they had done a pretty poor job of helping one of their own. "So, what do I owe you?"

Danni started to say something, but was interrupted by a loud shriek and Allana running into the living room, with Han down on his knees chasing her and making rancor noises. Allana stopped dead and pirouetted, pretending to hold a spear in her hands. She jabbed the 'rancor' in the ribs with her 'spear' and Han fell over. "There, I've stunned you." Allana said matter-of-factly, "Now I get to ride on your back."

Han only groaned, "No-o-o way kiddo; this 'rancor' is much to old to ride." As Allana started to pout, he ruffled her hair. "Nice try." Han gave her a wink, "Besides, I think that it's breakfast time." He looked over at the three people sitting down in the living room, "Right?"

"Almost." Leia gave a knowing look at the couple on the couch. "I think that we are short a few other guests. Who else is going to be let in on this?"

Danni smiled, Leia was not a former Chief-of-State simply because she was a pretty face. "For now, only your immediate family: Jaina, Jag, Tahiri." Danni allowed sadness to filter into her voice, "Assuming we can find Tahiri, that is."

Han laughed as he sat down next to Leia, and hoisted Allana up to sit in his lap, "Don't worry about 'Ri, she's doing alright." He saw Leia scowl at him. "What, you didn't think that I kept track of our other daughter?"

"No; it's that you don't mention her whereabouts to me." She deepened her scowl.

Han only chuckled as he shook his head, "You don't really want to know where she is." His tone became serious, "She is doing fine. Trust me." He saw that Leia wanted to push the issue, but now was not the time. Knowing that Han would not lie about Tahiri's well being, she gave him a curt nod as Han gave her a reassuring pat on her knee. Looking over at Danni and Gadell he ran his fingers through Allana's hair, "What about the others?" Implying the Skywalkers.

As Han knew he would, the Hapan surmised whom he had meant, "For the time being, the Queen Mother wishes a limited release of Allana's parentage. All others will find out as news leaks out, which will happen eventually."

Han nodded. The mistrust between the two parties-Jacen and Tenel Ka on one side and the Skywalkers on the other-would probably take a long time to heal, if it ever did. "So, when are Colonel Cardboard and Jaina getting here?"

Gadell chuckled, he had not met Jagged Fel personally, but Tenel Ka's description of the CEDF officer made him sound a little…_stiff_. Imagine: being called 'serious' by the Queen Mother-a rare occurrence, indeed. "Danni told them to be here at 0800. We wanted to give you two first shot at meeting Allana."

Leia chuckled appreciatively, "Tenel Ka has taught you well."

The Hapan Commander only smiled, "Oh no; you've got that backwards."

The door chime sounded before Han could reply. Seeing Threepio make a move towards the door, Han stopped him, "No Goldenrod, I'll get it. Is breakfast about ready?" He started for the door, Allana holding his hand as she accompanied him.

"Certainly Master Solo. Shall I set the table?"

Leia stood out of the chair. "Threepio, why don't we eat outside on the patio; I'll help carry the place settings."

Gadell stood and followed Leia, offering to help cart out the plates of sausages and eggs. Danni followed Han to the front door. Seeing as she was the one who called Jaina, it would be rude to hide in the living room and leave Han to explain about Allana. As Han got closer to the door, his granddaughter hung back and clung again to Danni's pant leg. The scientist smiled and absently ruffled Allana's hair as Han opened the door.

"Hi Dad!" Chirped Jaina as she enveloped her father in a large hug. "Hi Danni." She said as she released Han from her embrace, stepping into the flat. To her credit, Jaina hid her shock well and she smiled at Allana. Whatever news she expected Danni Quee to have concerning Jacen; a little girl was not on the top ten list. "Ah, so she must be the reason Dad's beaming." Jaina looked over the five-year-old with a warm smile. Her smile faded slightly as she looked up at Danni and then down at Allana. The young girl had left herself open to the Force just a bit, and Jaina could definitely recognize her twin's Force signature in the undercurrents of the girl's presence. Confusion showed on Jaina's face. _She doesn't look like Danni,_ _though_, _she looks exactly like_…

Danni smiled as Jaina made the connection, "Allow me to introduce Allana."

Jaina took a step forward as she covered her mouth in shock. She knelt down in front of her niece, and ran a hand down Allana's face. "Hello Allana. I'm your Auntie Jaina." Behind her, she heard Jag's gasp. She gave the girl a hug and then held her at arm's length, smiling. "You have your Daddy's eyes." Allana grinned at that. Everyone always said that she looked like her Mommy, but only Miss Danni and Auntie Jaina commented on her brown-_ish_ eyes. Behind Jaina, Jag cleared his throat.

Jaina rolled her eyes and her niece giggled. "Allana let me introduce to your uncle, Jagged Fel."

Jag bowed crisply, took Allana's left hand and brought it to his lips. He winked at her and she giggled again. "Hallå, Allana." The princess' eyes widened in shock; she did not hear Hapan spoken very often, even on Hapes. "Kalla mig 'Uncle Jag', grunder."

Allana pursed her lips for a second, trying to remember her Hapan. "Jag kommer att."

Jag winked at Allana again and said in formal tones, "May I accompany you to breakfast, Your Highness?"

His niece stifled another giggle. Mother had taught her how to act at formal occasions and she would do her best to impress her Uncle. She gave Jag her best curtsey, and answered regally, "You may." Allana allowed Jag to take her hand and they took two very formal steps before he grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around, with her squealing in delight.

* * *

A/N: Gadell Vessau belongs to Hexterah and he is used with permission. I totally recommend that all of you TK/J fans read her series _The Feigned;_ she's got her own website for it, so just do a search.

Before you ask: No, Jaina and Jag aren't married in this. I just had her introduce Jag to Allana as such because their relationship was heading that way anyway. Why does the EU drag out relationships for so long? Yes, I know that their relationship was pretty murky during LofF, but, frankly, so was everything else.


	3. Chapter 3--Knock Down, Drag Out

A/N: Thanks for all that took the time to review! To my 'anonymous' reviewer: You're right, I made an error in my summary; _Fact_ should be set roughly during the book _Tempest._ For some reason, I talked myself into believing that _Exile _was book three of the series when writing the summary and I have now fixed my timeline error. Thanks! Although, I did say 'roughly'! ;)

Since I'm on the topic of timeline, my story will _not _follow any established time line from _Legacy_. It is my belief that the timeline used there is impossibly compressed and horribly unrealistic. I've grown to appreciate that by using this timeline, all the characters were forced to act with incomplete knowledge and inaccurate assumptions; in many regards, this parallels the events of August 1914, when all sides had to rush to decisions knowing that the other side would be able to seize the initiative from the beginning. However, in contrast to the events of _Legacy_, there was a long trail of posturing and sabre-rattling by both the Germans and the Anglo-French leading up to the events of late summer 1914. In _Legacy_, we are forced to believe that this 'Second Galactic Civil War' went from zero to full mobilization to total war to completion in under a year. Wars of this magnitude cannot be fought or won that quickly.

**Chapter 3**

The room he was in slowly faded into view as the drugs wore off and Jacen became aware once again of his surroundings. He found himself in a large four-poster bed against one wall in an impressive bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and exposed wood beams. If the size of his bedroom was any indication, he was in a rather large log house; reminding him a bit of the ski lodge that his father had taken him, Jaina, Anakin, and Kyp to when they were kids. As he blinked to clear his eyes, he found himself looking out the large windows out to the surrounding conifer forest. Without really meaning to, he reached out with the Force to get a better feel for his situation. He reached out and felt…nothing. Clearly, someone was using ysalamiri. _Interesting._

Shaking his head, he sat up against the headboard and tried to recall how he got himself into this current state: Naked in a large bedroom. _Naked?_ He looked down. _Yep, naked_. At this, the head of the GAG banged his head a couple of times against the headboard. This was something that he was definitely _not_ going to tell Allana about. Her voice came unbidden into his mind. _Daddy, can you tell me again about the time you were found in the nude on Myrkr! _Wait…Myrkr? He got out of bed and walked over to the windows. He stood for a minute and took in the view. It was quite a vista: rugged hills, tall pines. This, combined with his inability to use the Force, all pointed to Myrkr. Jacen let out a long sigh, he wasn't sure quite how he came upon that particular insight, but it felt correct. His memories of being in orbit overhead notwithstanding; it was a beautiful planet, particularly in the late afternoon light. It was no wonder Talon Karrde was drawn to the place. If his recollection served, though, Myrkr was pretty isolated, so escaping from it became more problematic.

He continued to enjoy the vista as his mind raced to recreate how he got here. He remembered pulling his lightsaber on…Danni? With an almost audible 'click' it all jumped into place: He remembered the wicked-looking blaster that she had pulled _much_ faster than he had allowed for; he remembered his startling realization that his visions were only possibilities not certainties. As this realization continued to rattle his psyche, Jacen leaned against the window with his head. _What _have_ I done_? He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. There would be time later to deal with his actions and try to atone for them.

He delved back into his memories and remembered getting shot in the chest. Unconsciously, he looked down at his chest and saw no visible burns. _A low-power stun shot, then._ Unbeknownst to most people, most stun shots still left blaster burns. Whoever is working with Danni did not want him damaged too badly, as also evidenced by the lack of restraints; a realization that made him feel a little better.

_Danni._ How was he going try to explain this to her? Would she believe him when he told her why he drew his lightsaber? Would she even talk to him again? She had done so much for him just by talking to him, and this is how he repays her?

Guilt cascaded down onto his psyche like an avalanche. Guilt about what he'd done to Danni, guilt about how he'd been acting towards his family, but mostly guilt because he had killed Nelani out of sure arrogance. Oddly, Jacen found himself reveling in his guilt; it had been so long since he had felt much of anything that he _wallowed _in his despair; soaked up the emotion, became one with his feelings. It made him feel _human_ again. Guilt caused great pain, and if Jacen Solo knew anything, he knew how to deal with pain. With a clarity borne of deep embarrassment, Jacen realized that he had been lying to himself; that no _one_ person could change the flow of history. Unbidden, the chorus of one of Jaina's favorite songs popped into is head: _If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself_.

Sighing, Jacen turned around and surveyed the room. Since they hadn't left him tied to the bed, perhaps they would not mind if he explored the house a bit. A thought occurred to him as he walked over to a chest of drawers: if they did not mind that he explored, surely they would not want him to do it naked. He pulled open the top-center drawer. Sure enough, a green pocket t-shirt, underwear, and jeans. All looked to be his size; even kidnappers could be hospitable, apparently. Putting on the (hopefully clean) underwear, he frowned and paused as he pulled out the shirt, recognizing the stain at the bottom of the pocket from when Allana thought it would be neat to 'help' iron his clothes, forgetting about the purple crayon that she had stuck in the pocket. These _were_ his clothes. Smiling at the memory, Colonel Solo proceeded to finish dressing as he opened the other drawers looking for shoes and socks, finding neither. Apparently, hospitality only extended so far. _Great, I got kidnapped by Tahiri!_

Chuckling at his own joke, he remained confused as to why Danni went to all this trouble to kidnap him. His departure from the GAG was made public three days ago, as had the rolling of the organization into Alliance Intel, so why in the world would anyone want to snatch the 'lame duck' head of a 'lame duck' organization? As he shook his head at the sure obtuseness of the idea, Jacen pursed his lips trying to decide on his next course of action. It would be easiest, he supposed, to simply break the window and escape now, before anyone even knew he was awake. For a long moment, he deliberated, drumming his fingers against his leg. No, better to decide who was in cahoots with Danni, and try to find out what they were really up to.

Walking over to the door, the former Jedi pressed the release button, more as a lark than anything. To his surprise, the door slid open silently. Shrugging to himself, he stuck his head slightly out the door and peered both ways down the hall. From the right, what he assumed was the main part of the house, he heard a light crackling sound and the smell of bacon slowly wafted into his bedroom. At the sensory cues, Jacen felt his stomach rumble and his mouth start to water. _Stupid hunger reflex_.

Jacen started to creep down the hall, hugging the near wall, clearly trying to get a feel for how many people were in the house. He could hear movement coming from what he assumed to be a kitchen, but the rest of the house was silent as a tomb. Felling like a cat burglar, he got into a crouch as he reached the end of the hall; he looked into the sunken living room off to the left of the hallway. The living room contained simple furnishings, but a rather elaborate vidscreen center-clearly, someone had a taste for electronics. A brick fireplace stood directly opposite where he crouched and acted as the separation between the sunken living room and the dining area. _Cozy._ He was about to turn his attention to the dining/kitchen area, when he saw movement out the wall of windows that made up the exterior wall to that part of the house. A hummingbird feeder hung from the log railing of the large deck off the living room, and he watched as a small, colorful bird was feeding on the feeders red fluid. Before he could stop himself, he automatically identified the hovering bird as a ruby-throated hummingbird. _Native to Kashyyk. Imported to other worlds to encourage…_Jacen shook his head in disgust, rolling his eyes._ I am _such_ a nerd_! Nerd or not, he watched the bird hover for a few more moments before turning his attention back into the house.

Peering around the corner, he saw a small rectangular tall-table in the center of the small dining area and to the left of it was a kitchen island forming the divider between the dining area and the kitchen. Behind the island, a solitary woman with shoulder-length jet-black hair, wearing a black t-shirt and khaki shorts stood with her back to him. She was humming quietly as she poured the contents of a bowl into something. Jacen ducked back around the corner as the woman half-turned to the left. _Who are you?_

He heard the oven door open and then close and risked another peek to get a better look at the woman after hearing the kitchen faucet start to run. Whoever it was cut a striking figure, and was pretty tall. For a long moment, Jacen admired her long, tan legs and his eyes continued to make their way up her form, stopping another second to appraise her derriere. He grimaced. _Stop it!_ The woman turned slightly to her left again and Jacen stifled a gasp, quickly ducking back around the corner. As he replayed the scene in his mind, he was forced to admit: _Yep, only half of her left arm._ Quietly standing, he cautiously stuck his head back around the corner again to get a better look. Leaning against the wall, Jacen could not help but recognize the lovely curves of the woman he had loved since childhood and felt a small smile form on his lips as he watched Tenel Ka squirt dish soap into the sink. _Tenel Ka kidnapping me?_ _Dad would be proud!_

_(_)_

Leia, Han, and Jaina spent the entirety of breakfast regaling Allana with stories about her father when he was her age. Allana (and Leia) only stared wide-eyed at some of the things that Jaina and her twin had done.

After the breakfast table had been cleared, the six adults sat at the table watching Allana as she hummed to herself, idly dancing around on the patio, not noticing as everyone's attention focused on her. Jaina gave Jag a discreet nudge with her leg. The Chiss pilot nodded fractionally. "Allana, skulle du vilja gå till parken?"

Allana stopped twirling, her eyes alight, "Ja!"

Jag stood and noticed the confused looks he was getting from the three people who either did not know what was going on, or did not understand Hapan. "I noticed a park about two blocks from here. I think that her and I need to go stretch our legs." He took the girl's hand and started for the door.

Gadell shot Danni a quick look. Her green eyes narrowed, giving the Hapan an _Are you sure?_ look. Now it was Gadell's turn to give a barely perceptible nod. Rising from her seat, "Hang on a second Jagged, I'll go with you."

After the three had left the flat, Han quipped, "That was a pretty impressive display of non-verbal communication."

Jaina shot him a dry look before affixing a glare upon Commander Vessau, "Tell your boss…" she emphasized the last word, pausing slightly, "...tell her that I am less than impressed that she did not introduce Allana to us until now. I… we… feel betrayed."

Gadell shot a quick glance at Han and Leia. Their lack of expression conveyed that they both felt the same way. He suppressed a grimace, 'his boss' had told him that Jaina would be the first to attack. He supposed that Jaina's barely restrained aggression is what made her one of the finest fighter pilots around. Still, he wasn't about to be intimidated by Jaina Solo. Letting his voice frost over a touch, he responded, "My 'boss', as you put it, would reply by saying that you've been a pretty lousy friend for the last ten years." Jaina's eyes widen in shock. In a way, Major Solo reminded of a schoolyard bully, a pretty bully, to be sure, but a bully nonetheless. And everybody knows how bullies hate to be called out.

Jaina's look of shock quickly turned into one of extreme anger. "You have no right to…"

Gadell interrupted loudly, "Spare me you indignation _Major_ Solo." The Hapan Commander spat out, emphasizing to Jaina that he _did_ outrank her. "I have been her head of security since shortly after her coronation. I know that you have not been to Hapes in EIGHT years." He let that sink in for a moment. "The last Jedi _not_ named Jacen Solo to visit Her Majesty was Tahiri Veila, SEVEN years ago." Gadell was finding his groove now; he had been a member of the Naval Academy debate team, after all. "My friend, 'My Boss'..." he emphasized the last two words to needle Jaina, "...as you called her, has been terribly, almost crushingly, lonely for a DECADE." He shook his head, "And _you_ have the gall to feel betrayed?" He glanced again at her parents and noticed that both had the decency to look guilty. The table remained silent for a few moments.

Finally, Leia spoke up softly; more out of a sense of proprietary than as a legitimate argument, "We were never invited."

Vessau let out a long sigh, "I know. For what it's worth, I disagreed with her on that matter. You understand the danger to Allana, though? Even now." Both Leia and Han nodded fractionally. Inwardly, he smiled to himself. He had gotten past the first hurdle in their plan for Allana: letting the Solos vent. "I do offer this however: No one from the Palace invited Danni Quee. As far as I know, her and Tenel Ka were only barely familiar with each other until the day Danni showed up at the Palace; stopping in only because of concern about a mutual friend. Imagine what you could have learned if you had 'dropped in' a few years ago."

Gadell offered the three of them a warm smile, "As far as I'm aware, the Solos aren't vampires. Why do you feel the need to be invited?"

_(_)_

Jag and Danni were taking turns pushing Allana as she oscillated back and forth in her swing. The black-haired pilot leaned in Danni's direction and said quietly, "You know that they shooed us out so that they could yell at him, right?"

Danni gave Allana a push and replied just as quietly, "Yeah, I know."

Jag shot her a concerned look, "Jaina's pretty mad." Even without the Force, he could sense Jaina's moods. Mad didn't really even _begin_ to explain how she felt at the current time.

The blonde woman stepped slightly to the left to let Jag push his niece. "She has reason to be. I don't think either Jacen or Tenel Ka handled this like they should have; they let fear influence their decisions."

Jag nodded. "She doesn't pull any punches. He is going to get both barrels of 'Jaina fury'."

Again, it was Danni's turn to give her 'niece' a push. "She…they...need to get it out." She glanced over at Jag; "Gadell knows that it is better if they take it out on him rather than Tenel Ka." She paused as Jag gave Allana a push, "Trust me, Tenel Ka is _very _sensitive about Allana, and she would be very hurt if they ranted to her about the way she is raising her daughter."

Jag nodded again, his opinion of the Hapan Naval Commander raising a few notches. It takes a brave man to take on Jaina Solo; to do so knowing that you are going to face her wrath, and on behalf of someone else, takes a special person indeed.

Danni continued matter-of-factly, as she gave another push of the swing, "Gadell is going to hand her head to her, though."

Jag chuckled and shot Danni a wink, "She knows."

It was now Danni's turn to laugh. She shook her head that two intelligent people could both know ahead of time the outcome of a 'fight' and still go through with having it. The blonde wasn't sure if it showed a sense of duty, or just out-right stubbornness. Or both. She looked at Jag again and changed the topic, "Have you heard from Wyn recently?"

Jag gave the scientist a genuine smile; despite their age difference, Danni and his sister had become close friends over the last ten year and it saddened him a little that Danni had seen his parents on Csilla more than he had. Furthermore, Syal almost looked at Danni as a full family member now. Knowing this, and comfortable with it, Danni had stepped into Jag's dead sister Cherith's role as someone for Wynssa to emulate, a role that had worked out well for both. "You haven't heard? She got accepted into the pilot program." Jag tried to hide the pride from his voice, but Danni had been around the Fels long enough to recognize it. Unlike in the Alliance, Wyn's acceptance to pilot training was not a forgone conclusion. The Chiss only selected on merit, so the youngest Fel obviously earned her way in. "She wants to be a freighter pilot." He heard Danni's snort of disbelief, "Yeah, Father's thoughts exactly." He paused, "But, she wants to be a medevac pilot, and they only pick from the freighter track." Danni nodded, impressed. Wyn was going to have her work cut out for her. During the war, Medical Evacuation pilots had earned their reputation of being the best. Not only did they have to be better than the opposing fighter jockeys, but they also had to deal with ground-based artillery. All while flying with severely wounded soldiers on board.

Jag shot Danni a wry look, "Wyn just _had_ to needle Father, though. She said something about wanting to be like the finest pilot in the galaxy. And, since Han Solo flew a freighter…"

Danni looked aghast, "She did _not_!" Jag only shrugged in reply. Danni continued mock-seriously, "I'm surprised that Soontir didn't kick her out!"

_(_)_

The three of them sat drinking caf and admiring the view from the Solos upper level flat, Jaina still licking her wounds from Gadell's verbal beat down. It had been quite a while since anyone had bested her like that. Jag on Borleias, if she recalled properly.

Han, in typical fashion, was the first to break the silence. He looked over at Vessau, "Okay kid, what's the plan?"

Gadell smiled into his cup as he replayed Tenel Ka's final instructions: _Han will know that we are up to something; that we have not introduced Allana to them only to make them come to Hapes if they ever want to see her again. His question is the key. He will only ask if he suspects what we have planned and already agrees with it in principle. Once he asks, our plan is assured; you only have to negotiate the final details._ The Queen Mother was two for two with her predictions.

Jaina looked at her father questioningly, "Plan? What plan?"

Han returned her look incredulously, "Sweetheart, I've been dealing with Hapans for longer than I care to remember." He tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a grimace. "If I know _anything_ about the Hapans, it is that they are _always_ scheming." Han shot the younger man an apologetic look, "No offense."

"None taken." The Hapan smiled at the Captain of the galaxy's most infamous freighter. He glanced to Jaina and Leia, "As you might be aware, Allana turns six in a few months." He saw the older woman nod. "'My boss'," he shot Jaina a teasing look and she stuck out her tongue, "would like her to live with her father for a time and start school here on Coruscant." He paused slightly, "Assuming, of course, that their 'date' goes well." He chuckled to himself; he had no reason to think that it go badly. He _had_ noticed that the two of them were getting on better as of late, and he seriously doubted that Jacen was capable of saying 'no' to Tenel Ka. Not about this.

Leia was beaming with the thought of being able to see her granddaughter on a nearly daily basis, but she was way too ingrained in politics to not look for potential pitfalls. "Certain Hapans might take offense at the Chume'da attending school here."

Gadell was impressed; It was clear that Leia wanted her Allana to stay on Coruscant, but not at the expense of her overall safety. Han and Leia would not sacrifice their granddaughter's safety for their own convenience. Gadell shot Leia a knowing look, "True. However, if this 'date' goes well, Jacen will have _two_ new positions to fill and the Consortium will admire his effort to spend time with his _potential_ 'adopted' daughter." Actually, that sounded pretty good. He made a mental note to pass this quote on to the Palace Press Secretary.

Leia understood and nodded, but Jaina only rolled her eyes, "Okay, that's the second time that you've mentioned this 'date'. What _are_ you talking about?"

Han agreed as he eyed Gadell suspiciously., "Thanks sweetheart, I was beginning to think that I was the only one who didn't know what was going on."

The former Chief-of-State gave Han a knowing glance and looked over to Jaina, answering drily, "Apparently, Tenel Ka learned more from your father about dating etiquette than we would have thought."

It took a second, but Jaina finally got there. She raised her eyebrows in shock. "Dathomir? Tenel Ka kidnapped Jacen and took him to Dathomir?"

Gadell laughed humorlessly, "That is our guess. It seems to make the most sense."

Jaina opened her mouth to retort further, but her father put his hand up to forestall her, "Is she going to _make_ him marry her?"

Vessau started, they had all clearly misconstrued this 'date'. "No, I think that this is more symbolic than anything else. If I have my guess, it will lead to an official recognition of Jacen as a suitor."

Jaina looked worried. "Will Hapes warm up to a Jedi Consort?"

Vessau only shrugged. "I think that we are getting there." Exhaling loudly, he continued, "There have been a couple 'Freedom of Information' requests for the Palace visitor's log by members of the press, so they now know that Jacen Solo has been visiting the Fountain Palace on a fairly regular basis over the last five years." He filled his cup from the pot of caf. "That alone indicates a certain attachment." Gadell took a sip and continued sadly, "I think that it is dawning on many people just how lonely their Queen Mother has been."

Leia smiled at the Hapan Commander. His political skill was impressive, although it should not have surprised her: Gadell _is _Hapan, after all. She tilted her head and commented wryly, "Why do I get the feeling someone _suggested_ to the press to check the logs?" Vessau answered only with a wink.

_(_)_

Danni, Jag, and Allana re-entered the Solo flat about ten miuntes later. As the three of them made their way back onto the patio, Allana ran towards her aunt and jumped into Jaina's lap, getting an audible 'Oof.'

Jag commented drily, "Well, there are no bloodstains, and everyone is still breathing, so am I to assume that everything is alright?"

Han chuckled. "We're fine. You missed Jaina getting _schooled_ by Gadell, though." Jaina shot her father a glare that didn't have much behind it. Jag didn't look surprised, he _had_ expected as much, after all.

Leia looked from Gadell to Danni, "How long are the three of you planning to stay on Coruscant?"

Danni answered before Gadell could. "We don't really know." She looked over at the Hapan and he answered with a shrug. "I suspect about a week."

Han smiled warmly at the blonde woman. "Excellent. We haven't had guests in a while."

Danni recoiled slightly; she had not come expecting an invitation. Not wanting to impose, she started to decline. "That's not necessary. I have a room for us at…."She stopped, at last seeing the withering look that Leia was sending her way. It reminded the blonde of the look her mom used to give her as a teen when she tried to lie about where she had been. The look that seemed to say, 'You're not REALLY expecting me to buy that, are you?' Giving in to Leia's 'Mom' stare, Danni started again, "…I'll go check out of the hotel and get some of Allana's things from the _Survivor_."

Leia nodded, smiling warmly. "Good. Take Jag and Gadell with you." Gesturing to Han and Jaina, "The three of us are going to spoil Allana for the rest of the day."

* * *

A/N: Again, I want to give a big shout-out to Hexterah for letting me use Gadell Vessau. Her stories were my first forays into reading fan fiction and I hope that I can do both Gadell and her characterization of TK/J justice.

A final comment on this story; I am posting this _Memento_-style and have divided it into three sections. The next three chapters are in the 'present' and conclude section one; section two will travel back in time to show how we got the events to Jacen's 'kidnapping'. Section three will bring us back to the 'present' for the remainder of the story. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4--Pick Up and Restart

A/N: Be advised things are going to get a little steamy in this—warranting a 'European T' rating according to Origami Fish. As an aside, if you haven't read his re-write of the last half of NJO over in the 'Books—New Jedi Order' section, do so...right after you finish this chapter! Thanks to all who have been reading! Double thanks to all who have reviewed.

**Chapter 4—Pick up and Restart**

"Are you going to ogle me all afternoon, or are you going to come over here and help?" Tenel Ka asked drily, not turning to look at him. Not hearing a reply, she guessed at his confusion, "We _do_ have other senses besides the Force, you know." She tugged her right ear as she said this.

Jacen's smile grew as he walked into the kitchen and stood next to her at the sink. "And here I thought was being quiet."

"You were, but I could still hear your feet sticking to the hardwood."

Jacen snorted, "Ah. Aha." The remark earned him a quick sideways glance. "_That's_ why I couldn't find any socks." Tenel Ka finally turned her head to look at him standing next to her, her right eyebrow raised.

Smiling, Jacen grabbed the dishrag that was hanging on the faucet and took the pan that Tenel Ka was holding out for him to wash, both of them falling back on their old habit from the Academy: whoever cooked didn't have to clean. When they were younger: he and her had done most of the cooking for the five of them when they elected not to eat in the cafeteria. Okay, _he_ had done most of the cooking; she helped with mixing ingredients and with conversation. Jaina, Zekk, and Lowbacca took care of the cleaning. "Just for the record, I wasn't ogling. It was more of an _admiring_ look!" He could have sworn that he saw the hint of a smile on her face as she handed him a bowl.

"So…" Jacen paused. He couldn't remember the last time it was just the two of them together. It was something that he had long wished for, and now that it was here, he had no idea what to say. Nodding in the direction of the oven, "What's in the oven?"

"Quiche Augwynne." There was a hint of pride in her voice, and she handed him a measuring cup to wash.

"You made a quiche?" In his surprise, he had blurted it out before he could stop himself. _Nice going_. He had known Tenel Ka a long time, and he could only remember five or six times when she had cooked _anything_ by herself. And most of those five or six times involved some sort of meat on a stick. Over a fire. Outside.

"Do you see anyone else?" Tenel Ka snapped back, far more severely than she had intended. Her shoulders slumped a little; she knew that he had not intended to sound so unbelieving.

Jacen made a show of looking around the kitchen as he washed the cup. "I guess not."

"Then I made a quiche."

Jacen smiled at her wry tone. "Quiche Augwynne? I'm not familiar with that recipe."

There was no mistaking the sparkle in her eyes. "My great-grandmother's recipe. My mother named it that to annoy Ta'a Chume. Whenever we had it, father _always_ made it a point to invite her. It was a way to _guarantee_ that it would just be the three of us for dinner." Jacen chuckled as she shook her head at the memories. "Anyway, it contains Dathomiri cheese, bacon, ham, onions, and broccoli."

"Sounds good." Jacen could not shake the feeling of tension between the two of them; their conversation seemed…forced. "Allana with you father?" He asked, more to keep their conversation going than anything. Feeling his friend tense unexpectedly at the question, he looked over at her through narrowed eyes, "Tenel Ka?" He asked again, hoping she would at least turn to look at him, "Where _is_ Allana?"

The Queen Mother sighed as she started to wipe off the counter, clearly avoiding eye contact. "Gadell and..." she paused briefly; unsure on whether she should admit Danni's involvement in his kidnapping. Grimacing, it dawned on her that he _knew_ Danni was not the one who stunned him and it was not going to take him very long to put two-and-two together, if he had not done so already. Letting out a resigned breath, she continued, "...Danni have taken Allana to meet her grandparents."

Jacen stood stunned, still holding the measuring cup. Four years of frustration came bubbling up from the inner depths of his being; he had been asking, begging really, Tenel Ka to let him introduce his daughter to her grandparents, getting rebuked at every turn. Did she not know how much damage this secret had done to his psyche? For the first time since...ever, he found himself _angry _with his best friend. Struggling to keep from yelling, "You're telling them _now_? Tenel Ka jumped a little at his voice; apparently expecting a more understanding reaction. "You're letting someone they haven't seen in a decade and a man they've never met introduce them to _our_ daughter?"

"I..."

"Do you have any idea how _hard_ it has been to feign indifference about you?" Jacen interrupted, not wanting to hear her lame apologies; he was _way_ beyond pissed, and he was going to make damn sure she knew it. Do you have _any_ idea how many people ask me about you two? How hard it is to pretend I don't really know how insanely intelligent and curious Allana is?"

Finally, Tenel Ka turned to look at her friend, confusion evident on her face. Her and Jacen had only been on two dates publically, the last one was three years ago; surelypeople have better things to do than remember that the two of them had been on a date or two. _Don't they?_

Seeing her confusion, he rolled his eyes and softened his tone, "Trust me, you'd be _amazed_ at what people keep track of." Getting a small shrug in response, he looked at her with steely determination, "_You_ are going to have to explain to them that this was all your idea." His voice dropped to a whisper as he turned to finally put the cup into the drying tray. "I've been blamed for enough, I am _not_ taking the blame for this."

"So, you are okay with lying to _me_, but you draw the line at lying to Leia?" It was a bit of a low blow, and she knew it, but this was a conversation they needed to have.

Jacen's head fell, hearing a sort of finality in Tenel Ka's tone. Risking a glance at the beautiful woman to his left, he could see nothing but anger in her grey eyes. Not taking his eyes off of her, he backed up a couple of steps and leaned against the island on the opposite side of the kitchen, mostly to give himself some needed space, with her watching him the entire time. Had his recent effort to show her how much she meant to him been too little, and much too late? Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his fears, "Have I..." Jacen stopped, realizing that he needed to phrase his next question better. Starting again, "Are we..." he paused again, as if afraid of the answer, "Are we still...us?" he finished quietly, staring intently at her back.

Tenel Ka froze with a quick intake of breath; stunned. Not at the sentiment, but at the fact that he shared it. Tenel Ka had been on pins and needles whenever he was around because she had felt that their relationship, their friendship, was dying. On one level, she was relieved that he noticed the same thing. Her heart wanted her to say: _I will _always_ be yours._ However, she could not; the Queen Mother could not afford to write Jacen Solo a blank check. As she looked into those brown eyes of his, she answered honestly, "It depends on what happens next." Jacen only gave her a slow nod. "You _withheld_ things from me, Jacen. I would have preferred you to just outright lie." Her pain was all too evident in her storm-grey eyes.

"Tenel Ka, I'm…" Jacen stopped, seeing her defiant look. Apologizing would not fix this. It would not fix _them_. Apologizing implied that he had not told her accidentally, and that was not true. He had hidden things from her on purpose, thinking that she would not understand. He let out a breath; they used to tell each other _everything_. They were a _team_ once. Tenel Ka always had his back even if, sometimes especially if, they did not agree. By not confiding in her, he had implied that he did not trust her. Just by the look on her face, he could tell that she was crushed and he knew her well enough by now to know that she would only forgive the slight if he could articulate why he had done what he did. Only a reasonable, logical explanation would suffice as an apology. Right then and there, he resolved to NEVER lie to her again. Even if she dumped him on the spot, and he totally expected her to do just that, he would continue to trust her with everything.

As he looked into the beautiful grey eyes that continued to glare at him defiantly, he took a deep breath, his eyes becoming vacant as he focused on some unseen object far, far away. "I first met the woman whom I would later learn to be Lumiya while she was being held in a prison cell on Lorrd…" Jacen recounted the story of bailing Brisha Syo out of prison: her talking him into taking herself, Nelani, and Ben to some outpost in the Bimmiel System. He retold the conversations that he had with Lumiya on that little asteroid; her telling him that Vergere was Sith; him stopping Nelani from killing Lumiya. Jacen recounted his vision of the galaxy erupting into chaos, culminating with him striking down Luke Skywalker. Using a flat, emotionless voice he described, in agonizing detail, his duel with Nelani. When he had finished telling his tale, he found himself staring at the floor.

Tenel Ka was incredulous; "You killed her because of a _vision_?" Jacen had to give her credit: she tried, and almost succeeded, in keeping the disdain for him out of her voice. Despite the fact that she was on the verge of leaving him, he was impressed at her unflappable nature.

Jacen nodded, refusing to look at his love. "This vision was eerily similar to the ones that I had when I was fighting Onimi, or Tsavong Lah, or the two times at Centerpoint."

Her eyes narrowed, "TWO times at Centerpoint?" Tenel Ka remembered him mentioning the visions he had had while fighting against the Vong, but he had never mentioned his vision while on Centerpoint. Clearly, the two of them had not been really _communicating_ for the past few months.

He hung his head further. Taking another deep breath, he raised his head to look at he again, "Well, I had another vision after I finally cornered Sal-Solo on Centerpoint." Jacen filled her in on trapping Thracken Sal-Solo on the station, and the vision that he had indicating that Sal-Solo was the key to stopping galactic unrest. Grimacing, he admitted to being unable to stop Sal-Solo from escaping.

When he had finished, neither one of them said anything for a while. Tenel Ka was at a loss as to what to do. Even without the Force, she could feel the guilt coming off of her love. _What happened to you, Jacen? Why does the Force show these things to you_? More than anything else, she started to feel sorry for her friend. He had gone off on his grand journey to learn more about the Force than anybody in memory, and what does he get for it? Fatalistic visions. It was a wonder that he was still sane.

After several minutes, Jacen broke their silence, sounding almost desperate. "You and I, we've grown up with the galaxy at war with itself. I don't want Allana to grow up like we did." He paused, taking a deep breath. "You've done so well at making Hapes better. For her; for everyone." He gave her a small smile, "I want…I was trying…to make the galaxy safe for her, too. I don't want our little girl to have to watch her friends die like we did."

Tenel Ka's heart skipped a beat. Only her Jacen would go to such lengths to try and save the galaxy from itself. Stepping forward a couple of step, she took his left hand as her eyes searched his, "We cannot guarantee her safety in the future, Jacen. We can only protect her in the here and now."

He tilted his head, as if pondering her words, and then snorted as if finally coming to the same conclusion. "I forgot the most important part of what Yoda was trying to teach Uncle Luke with his: 'always in motion, the future is.' Nothing is predetermined." Tenel Ka nodded as he confessed, "I've become arrogant with my abilities and knowledge-I thought that I was smarter than everyone else."

Tenel Ka gave him a quick nod. "And now?"

Jacen caught the hopeful tone in her voice, and his heart leapt. Maybe, possibly, she had not given up on him yet. _Force knows that everyone else has. _"Even Master Yoda could be misled. Palpatine sat under his nose for years, and the Council was never the wiser. If Yoda wasn't infallible, who am I to think that I am?"

Tenel Ka ran her hand up his arm and took a step closer, just as the oven beeped. Rolling her eyes, "Ah, the quiche is done. Can you grab some wine from the 'fridge while I take this out?"

While she took the quiche out of the oven, he stepped over to the 'fridge, scowling slightly after he opened the door. There were about half-a-dozen bottles of wine in the door, and he was _not_ a wine connoisseur. After seeing a couple of names that remotely familiar, he selected the sweeter of the two. Spotting the Caesar salad on the top shelf, he grabbed it also and looked over at Tenel Ka with a quizzical look. Pointing the bottle of wine at her like a weapon, "Who are you and what have you done with my Tenel Ka?" Inwardly, he groaned at his choice of words. She was not _his_ anything-hopefully she had missed the possessive adjective.

Her eyes sparkled with humor, something that he had not seen in a while. Oh, she had caught the wording of his joke, but she was so caught up in his playfulness that she forgot that she was still supposed to be angry with him. "What? Can't a girl have a hobby?"

"Sure." He agreed, "I just never thought it would be cooking. I figured you to be the type to be into restoring old freighters, or something." As he was talking, Jacen grabbed plates from the cupboard and put them on top of the salad bowl. After opening a couple of drawers randomly, he found the silverware and put a couple of forks and knives as well as a bottle opener on the plates and picked up the entire stack. With a nod, he made his way to the sliding glass door off of the sunken living room, opened the door with his elbow, and put the salad bowl and plates down on the wood table out on the deck.

Upon his return to the kitchen, she continued their conversation. "Even a monarch should be able to make dinner occasionally." Then she gave him a wry smile and deadpanned, "And who is to say that I don't also restore old freighters." She nodded her thanks as he picked up the quiche. Following him out of the kitchen, she grabbed the bottle of wine off of the counter and gave the label a quick glance. With a small shrug of acceptance, she made her way to the sliding glass door. The wine was a little sweet for her tastes, but she _did_ tell him to pick.

Jacen had picked up her tone in her off-hand remark. "You still have it, then. The _Dragon_." He said this over his shoulder as they made their way to the patio.

Tenel Ka noticed that it was not a question. "You do not sound surprised."

Jacen snorted, "You've met my father. If someone told him he could only save one thing: the _Falcon_ or his wife, there would be a lo-o-ong deliberation." He chuckled at the thought of his father being given such an ultimatum. As he opened the sliding glass door again, he turned his head to look at her, "Anyway, I sense a story."

Grimacing as she closed the door behind her, she often forgot just how perceptive of her vocal inflections he could be. "Which do you think Han would pick?" It was a blatant attempt at trying to change the subject, one that he was sure to see through, but she was reluctant about sharing her story.

Jacen chuckled again, "I don't think any of us really want to know. I know which he would pick if it were the _Falcon_ or myself." His last sentence was only half in jest. "And you," he pointed at her, "are trying to avoid your story. Out with it." Smiling, Jacen knew that he and Gadell were probably the only two people able to coerce Tenel Ka into talking about her.

Sighing deeply, the Hapan Queen started telling her tale, "After you…died, Ta'a Chume kept trying to set me up with various nobles…"

_(_)_

Late one evening, while reviewing fleet action reports, she noticed her father leaning against the doorway to her office. With a humorless smile, he said quietly, "You shouldn't work so hard."

She narrowed her eyes. "I have to. I owe it to our troops-to my friends-that are out there," she gestured around the room, "fighting and dying for us. I will not let them down by keeping banker's hours."

"Of course not. Even Jaina takes leave on occasion, though." Something about the way her father said that made Tenel Ka look up again from the report. Isolder tried to put some warmth in his smile, "Which brings me to the reason for my visit. Do you remember my friend from the Naval Academy? Jerell?" The Queen nodded; Jerell paid a visit to the palace every so often when she was growing up; he had visited more often the last few months, probably to help his friend get over the death of Teneniel. "Anyway, his son is home on leave for the next two weeks."

At this, Tenel Ka shot her father the iciest glare she could muster. She put up with this behavior from her grandmother; she did _not _expect it from her father.

Isolder looked chagrined as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Nothing like that, I swear." His daughter's glare lessened in its intensity. "Markus is a physician aboard one of the Battle Dragons. Jerell was telling me about how hard he is working, about all of the death and destruction he has seen." His tone became concerned, "I thought maybe the two of you could…commiserate together. Maybe over dinner." He walked over to her desk and took her hand, "You needn't be so…lonely, daughter mine."

Her expression softened as she recognized that her father was only trying to help. Maybe he was right, maybe she needed to talk to other people closer to her own age. Besides, it would be good to hear a first-hand account of the war. Looking into her father's eyes, "Markus will understand that this is going NOWHERE?" Putting extra emphasis on the last word. Isolder nodded. Sighing, she gave in to her father's wishes, "Okay. Tomorrow evening then." Isolder smiled at his daughter and turned to leave. Quietly she added, "Thank you father."

Isolder paused at the door to her office and turned his head, "Of course. I do love you, you know." Tenel Ka gave him a half-smile in thanks.

_(_)_

"He _was_ charming." The now black-haired Queen added drily.

Jacen wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a famous 'Solo' grin, "Oh, I'm sure."

"And his jokes were better than yours."

Jacen's smile only got bigger as his eyes sparkled, clearly enjoying her discomfort, "Most people's are."

Clearly exasperated she shook her head at him, "I don't know why I am telling you this."

"Yes, you do. Please: continue."

Sighing again, "He wasn't at all what I expected. He was a tad shorter than me with curly blonde hair, and he had the most piercing blue eyes. A bit like Anakin's were…"

_(_)_

Dinner started awkwardly. Tenel Ka did not have many opportunities to eat with only one other person, and she was never very good at making small talk. When she inquired about his work as a Naval doctor, she could see the weariness in his eyes.

Markus paused for a second, as if considering his words. "It's hard. Hard to see so many young people die. There are times that I feel I'm being dragged underneath an ocean of despair." Tenel Ka's heart reached out to the young physician, she felt the same way. He continued, mirroring her thoughts. "I'm sure that you must feel the same way, at times."

Markus' comment caught her off guard, she only knew of two other people who could read her moods like that, and only one of them was still alive. The Queen Mother found herself wanting to open up to a kindred spirit. "I do. I send young women and men out to fight the Vong knowing that some of them, perhaps many of them, will not return." Sadness filled her voice; "There are no words to express the guilt I feel when I read the Fleet Action Reports, knowing that I will have to tell their families that their deaths mattered to Hapes. Mattered to me."

The doctor nodded his head. "It is the same for me. I have to tell their friends, their Commander, that so-and-so died today." He offered her a small smile. "Still, it is not all doom and gloom. I have seen some interesting places!" He proceeded to tell her about the various ports of call that he'd been to while away. The soldiers he had been able to help while 'dirt-bound' on various planets, the trouble that he and his mates had gotten into while off-duty. Tenel Ka couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm; his tales reminded her of all of her travels while at the Academy.

After he had finished, she launched into stories of her own. Travelling aboard the _Rock Dragon_ to Cloud City, of fighting the Diversity Alliance on Ryloth. Here she was, telling a relative stranger stories about herself that her own father did not even know. They continued to regale each other with personal stories throughout dinner and she started to feel _comfortable_ with Markus; a feeling she was unsure would ever happen again.

After dinner, Markus asked cautiously, "Do you still have the _Rock Dragon_?"

She grinned, "Of course." Tenel Ka could not remember the last time that she had even smiled, let alone grinned. It had been _months_. "Would you like to see it?" Markus, caught up in her obvious flirty-ness, nodded. The smile on the Queen in front of him seemed to be at odds with her reputation as being aloof. She stood up, "Well, come on then." The young queen grabbed his hand and led him down to the Palace hangar, holding his hand the whole way. Part of her heart was rebelling at the fact that she was holding someone else's hand, but Jacen was DEAD. As much as Jacen had loved her, and she was certain that he had, he would not want her to hide from life. _Her_ Jacen would understand.

When they finally got out to the hangar, she broke into a run, dragging the blonde doctor behind her. She skidded to a stop in front of her ship, beaming with pride. Tenel Ka knew that it was not the best-looking ship in the galaxy, but it was about the only thing in the Palace that was _hers_. Turning to her new friend, she said excitedly, "Here it is. What do you think?"

Markus saw the wide smile that was so uncharacteristically spread across her face and offered her one in return. Slowly, he began to walk around the _Rock Dragon_, running his hand along the hull as if giving it a thorough examination. When he completed his circuit of her ship, he returned to the Queen Mother's side. With a small smile and using the most condescending tone she had ever heard from someone, "After I am named consort, we will get you a better ship so we can get you better memories."

Tenel Ka's smile faded as she continued to stare at him. It was all a ruse. He and his father had put this plan in motion, thinking that she would not refuse a friend of her father. They had used Isolder-they had used _her_. They had played her like the eighteen-year-old girl that she was. As her stare turned into an icy glare, she slammed her mental barriers back into place and marched briskly past his now prone form, waiting until she was out of sight before she sprinted back to her apartment, letting her emotions catch up with her only after she slammed the door to her apartment closed. Leaning against the door, she slid down to the floor as she finally allowed herself to cry. An inhuman sound came from her throat as she screamed, "_Damn _you, Jacen Solo." Rocking forward, she slammed her back repeatedly into the door, the tears becoming a deluge. "_Damn_ you for leaving me here."

Some time later, she had no way of knowing how long, only that she had cried herself out and just sat numbly against the door; someone knocked on the door. "Tenna?"

"Go away." The Queen Mother sounded petulant, like a spoiled teenager yelling through her bedroom door, but she was beyond caring.

"Tenel Ka?" Her father was nothing if not persistent. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it things to go this way."

She sighed as she could hear him sit on the other side of the door. "I know."

_(_)_

Jacen sat looking into Tenel Ka's lovely face, pain etched into her eyes. Pain that he had caused. Lowering his eyes, he felt a new wave of guilt wash over him; he had known her for almost two decades now, and all he had ever caused her was pain. Suddenly, her description of her leaving the hangar caught up with him. _Prone form?_ Looking back up, "Just how hard _did_ you hit him?"

Tenel Ka looked at him guiltily, "I did not…I...used a Force shove." Smirking at Jacen's wry smile, she continued, "Markus must have flown..." she paused, clearly trying to visualize the distance, "...five meters in the air, and skidded on his backside for another three." She shook her head, "I should not have done that. It is just a ship."

"No." He yelled, making her jump. Clearly embarrassed, Jacen lowered his voice, "No. It's not _just_ a ship." He continued softly, "Markus insulted you. The _Rock Dragon_ represents who you were." Jacen used an almost reverent tone when he said the name of her ship. "The _Dragon_ played a part in making you…making us…who we are." He smiled thoughtfully, as he ran the back of his hand up her left arm. "It is a reminder of what you once wished to be. Never be embarrassed by your feelings."

Tenel Ka recalled her conversations with Danni when the scientist was reliving her trip to Csilla with Jacen: About Jacen teaching Wyn Fel not to be embarrassed by emotion. It would seem that young Ms. Fel was not the only one who needed to learn that lesson. _Danni was right: Jacen_ is_ a keeper_. Allowing a long sigh, she looked back at her best friend. Lost again in her memories, she continued her story, "After that day I found a mechanic who was willing to teach an eighteen-year-old girl how to restore her well-worn freighter." Jacen smiled a warm smile, but he doubted that she saw it, so lost was she in her thoughts.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while; content to eat and watch the shadows lengthen with the setting sun. Characteristically, Jacen was the first to break their silence. Still staring at the sunset, "The view reminds me a bit of the view from the top of the Temple on Yavin." He turned to look at her face, his eyes searching hers. "Why did you bring me here? Why Myrkr?"

His Queen started, this was a question she had not expected him to ask; thinking it would be obvious. "Three reasons," her eyes traveled back to the vista before them and continued quietly, "I lost you here once: from here I intend to get you back." Her grey eyes gave him a quick glance and he offered her a sad smile, "Two: I was not sure of what kind of mood you would be in when you awoke…"

Jacen interrupted, seeing her rationale and chuckled, "And you thought leaving me naked and without the Force would even the playing field."

"Exactly. Without the Force, we are still pretty evenly matched. With it…"

Jacen's face scrunched in alarm, "You though that I'd harm you? I would never…"

She looked at him sharply, "I never thought that you would kill someone because a vision."

Jacen could only nod sadly, conceding the point. "And third?"

"I did not know what sort of 'Force flare' you would send out when you awoke, and I have no desire for _her_ to find us."

He grimaced; there was no mistaking who Tenel Ka thought 'she' was, although how she found out about the Sith Lord was beyond him. "Lumiya is not dumb; she will figure out where we are."

She only smirked at him, "Oh, I know that. I am counting on her to be able to deduce that I am the most likely culprit behind your disappearance." Tenel Ka gave him an almost predatory grin, "Knowing my background, she will assume that I took you to…"

Jacen smiled, catching on to her plan, "Dathomir." Tenel Ka only raised an eyebrow in congratulations. He shook his head. "By the time she figures out that we're not there, we will be long gone off this rock." Jacen looked at her appraisingly. He never knew her to be so…sneaky. "Your grandmother would be proud."

"Bite your tongue, Jacen Solo. Bite your tongue." Her look turned serious. "She will come after me, you know."

He nodded. Only now did he realize how much Tenel Ka had risked by 'kidnapping' him. When her and Danni cooked up this plan, she was by no means sure that he could be saved, and she had just brought the rage of a Sith Lady down on herself. Jacen was unsure if he was worth the risk. "Us. She'll come after us. You won't have to fight her alone." He gave her a 'Jacen' smile, the one that used to make her heart skip a beat at the Academy. In fact, that smile _still_ caused her heart to skip a beat. "Together, we make a pretty formidable pair."

"You would fight your own master?"

"It _is_ the way of the Sith." Jacen deadpanned. Seeing her look of horror at his cavalier attitude, he shook his head and ran his hand up her left arm again, "Tenel Ka, I am NOT a Sith." His tone became thoughtful as he looked back to the disappearing sun. "In the end, I couldn't do it. The way of the Sith is too…lonely." He lost himself in his recollections and continued sadly, "The Sith way always requires _more_. More commitment. More study. More sacrifices. More, and more, and…more."

"It sounds a bit like being Queen Mother." Tenel Ka drily interjected. She sobered, "Is it more powerful?"

Jacen took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to answer. "There is no doubt that anger_ is_ a powerful emotion. You were angry when you shoved poor Markus." He shot her an amused look. "You were angry because he mocked your joy; angry because he _used _you and your father." She nodded as he continued, "Unfortunately, anger isn't permanent. If Markus came walking onto this patio right now, I doubt that you could summon the same raw anger that you felt twelve years ago." He paused to let her contemplate his words. "Hate is _very_ hard to hang on to. With time, hate turns into bitterness and bitterness is _not_ the same. Therefore, you have to constantly find new things to fuel your hate, and that is not as easy as it sounds." He paused again. "I don't really know how Palpatine did it."

Her grey eyes narrowed as she turned to look at him. There was something that he wanted to share…"You have a theory about Vader? About what drove him?"

Jacen gave her a wry smile before he answered; the two of them were falling back into the habit they used to have when they were teens at the Academy - always leaving clues to each other in the course of their conversations about things that they wished to discuss, but only if the other wanted to. Perhaps that was what kept them close, even as Jaina and Zekk drifted apart. "From what I have gathered about Anakin Skywalker, he was quite a bit like my brother: impulsive, impertinent, …loyal." Casting a sad glance at Tenel Ka, "I've come to think that Vader despised what he had become. He came to hate the one source that was inexhaustible: himself. He did horrible things and then used his anger at what he had done to fuel other actions. A perfect Sith engine." He smirked mirthlessly, "It is pretty easy to stay angry at yourself." Jacen shrugged and stared sightlessly into the growing gloom as he continued quietly, almost to himself. "I did."

Tenel Ka sat dumbstruck at Jacen's observations of his grandfather. She had no way of knowing if they were correct, but they sounded accurate. She was troubled by his admission of his own Sith side. Did he still hate himself? Enough to act on? "How far did you get?"

Continuing to stare out into the fading light he sighed deeply, realizing that she needed to understand how close to becoming irredeemable he had become. "You probably don't want to know." With that, he got up to take the dishes back into the kitchen.

As he was busy loading the dishwasher, Tenel Ka refilled both of their wine glasses and moved over to the wicker bench sitting at the other end of the deck. As she watched the last of the light disappear, she contemplated what her friend, her love, had said. On one hand, she was terribly afraid of just how far along the path to being a Sith he had been; but was relieved that he seemed unable to hold on to his anger.

Jacen had left the kitchen light on, and the soft glow washed across the deck. From somewhere in the house he had appropriated a blanket and gently placed it over her form. Tenel Ka nodded her thanks and handed him his glass as he sat down next to her, the bench giving a 'creak' with the extra weight. She moved to sit sideways, with her legs lying across his lap and he did the same. After rearranging the blanket to cover them both, they both sat looking into the evening, listening to the night sounds of the Myrkr forest.

After neither had said anything for half-an-hour or so, Tenel Ka, uncharacteristically, was the first to break their comfortable silence. "What does it mean to be a Jedi?"

Jacen coughed in surprise. Philosophical musings? From Tenel Ka? For the second time that evening, he wondered what this person had done with his Tenel Ka. Chuckling he rolled his eyes, "I spent five years wandering the galaxy hoping to discover that answer, and the last few trying to reconcile what I had learned with what I saw around me." His tone became full of remorse. "I've screwed up all the relationships that ever mattered to me trying to find that answer, and I don't think I'll ever know." He paused; it was his turn to pick up her cue. "Why?"

"What are we?" She asked rhetorically. "Obi-Wan called the old Order the 'Guardians of peace and justice', right?" Jacen nodded, still not sure where she was going with this. "What does that mean, exactly? Are we a police force?" She was staring intently at him now, her grey eyes flaring. "I think not. That implies an investigative force that we don't have. Are we Intel? The Diplomatic Corps? An arm of the military?" Tenel Ka sighed, and took a sip of her wine. "We don't know. And the _one_ person that everyone is looking at to answer that question doesn't know."

Jacen took a sip from his glass while he pondered what she said. "Does it matter? The Jedi don't really need a mandate."

She shot him a look; "I disagree. Until they know what they _are_, they cannot decide what to _do. _He creates problems by NOT having some sort of mandate." She took another sip, and some of the wine dribbled down her chin. Snorting, she used her thumb wipe away the offending liquid. "Right now, there are billions of people," she gestured vaguely out to the night sky, "out there that are scared stiff because they don't know how this current crisis is going to pan-out. Where are the Jedi? If the Jedi are the 'Guardians of Peace', they should be out there trying to head this off. Why were _you _the only Jedi trying to keep the peace on Coruscant?"

Jacen could tell that she had wanted to vent about this for a while, the frustration evident in her voice. "The only Jedi to go to Corellia was your mother, and her and your father only incited the secession effort." Sadly, talking almost to her self, "Bumping off Sal-Solo? I expected more from them." Beside her, Jacen nodded once as she continued her tirade, "The Jedi Council should be the ones leading a peace mission; they should be solving these issues _now_, before they get good people killed. Instead they _sit_ and bicker like a group of bitter Hapan socialites." Tenel Ka could not keep her disdain for what the Order was _not_ doing out of her voice. The very people who had taught her how to be Queen were letting the galaxy fall apart around them. Giving Jacen a hard look, "I still do not know which makes me more upset: the GAG roundups, or the fact that nobody on the Council offered a better course of action." She paused as she swirled her wine, clearly lost in thought. "I expected more from you."

Her soft rebuke did more damage than if she would have ranted for an hour. Tenel Ka's opinion of him was the only one he ever really cared about, and he had failed badly in that regard. Still, given what could have occurred, he felt that some of his actions were needed. Desperately, he tried to explain, "They were _killing _Corellians, Tenel Ka. Innocent people were getting attacked, beaten, and killed for no other reason then they were Corellian. My mandate was to stop the violence; I was desperate for _anything_ that would work."

Feeling the hopelessness and pain in his voice, she could only nod. Jacen had been given a no-win situation and was doing what he thought would work. _The lesser of two evils..._ Looking back at her friend, "I know; I think that is why I am still more frustrated with the Order-they were removed from the front lines and still did not offer a better solution."

Recognizing her comment as a small vote of confidence, he affectionately gave her left thigh a small squeeze. "Back to mediating a solution: Isn't that the job of the Senate?"

Tenel Ka nodded vigorously, "And the job of the Diplomatic Corps." She paused, thinking about what she had just said. "Maybe the Jedi should all be diplomats."

Jacen could not fault her logic, but he still didn't know if he agreed with her. "So, is the Order to be at the beck and call of the Senate? We'll become just another political tool."

The Queen Mother shrugged. "Not necessarily. Look, your military is subservient to the Senate, and they manage to be largely apolitical. Mine is even better at being above the political fray." It wasn't often that Tenel Ka praised her fellow Hapans. "Look at it from the Senate's point-of-view: they are spending millions of credits on the Jedi, and what is the return on that investment? What _do_ we owe the Galactic Alliance taxpayers? It is exceedingly arrogant to tell these people: 'we will spend your hard-earned money the best way we see fit. We may or may not get around to helping you out of your current bind.'"

"Don't forget, they are also spending _your_ money." Jacen heard her snort of laughter. He had known her long enough to deduce that there was still more to this topic she wanted to discuss. "You always seemed so sure of yourself. What happened?"

Tenel Ka looked directly at him, her eyes portraying a real sense of affection. "You happened." She paused, trying to find a way to articulate what she meant. "I always felt the need to prove myself: as a Princess, a Jedi, a Queen. You taught me that it is okay to not have all of the answers." She gave him a rare smile, "I learned that questioning _what_ we are is not the same as denying _who_ we are."

They sat in silence again for a few moments as Jacen continued to caress her left arm, giving her goose bumps. Strangely, it was one of the most intimate things that Jacen did, and before this evening he hadn't done it in a while. Almost everybody tried to ignore her stump of an arm, and _nobody_ wanted to touch it, nobody except Jacen. Maybe it was his way of paying a penance for his role in _their_ accident, but it always made her feel whole. Especially when he was doing it subconsciously, like tonight.

Jacen looked at her again, "From you, I learned how to be tenacious. There was this time on Dathomir…" He proceeded to regale her with a tale about him trying to learn the 'Spell of Storm' from the Nightsisters. Tenel Ka laughed at his tale, recalling trying to learn the same spell as a child. As she recounted the lesson from her childhood, he could not keep a goofy smile from his face. _Tenel Ka laughed!_ It was his favorite sound in the galaxy, and one that he had not heard in far too long.

He continued to tell her about some of what he had learned: the ability to flow-walk, learning from the Ang-Tii monks, finding Master Windu's Holocron in Jorj Car'das's library; that holocron was especially useful-in it Mace described the 'Shatterpoint' technique and the basics of Vapaad.

When he had finished, she regaled him with the story of getting her labor reforms started; her starting of the 'Commerce Attaché's', unsure at the time whether or not she would live long enough to see the results from the effort. She discussed the growing confidence of the _appointed_ Ruling Council, and the problems that were starting at a couple of the private yacht-building firms because the owners were reluctant to allow for a vote for a union by the line workers. Hours later, as they continued to talk and the sky grew lighter, they both realized that whatever wall they had erected between them was largely gone. This was not like the relationship they had at the Academy; that relationship was gone. This was different, yet…better.

As Tenel Ka was smiling at his recollection of him and Ben on Adumar, it suddenly dawned on her that she was going to have to make the first move. Jacen had left _their_ fate in her hands; he had done all he could do. He was continuing his story, "So Ben vaults over the railing…"Tenel Ka lunged at him, landing on his chest, and kissed him. Hard. She put all of her feelings for him into her kiss, and she felt his arms wrap around her once his initial shock wore off. Without the Force, they relied on their hands, lips, bodies, and sounds to convey their love for each other. Slowly, she stood up, never removing her lips from his, and led him back into the house and toward her bedroom. Somewhere along the way, Jacen lost his shirt, whereas she had lost both her shorts _and_ her shirt.

When the back of her thighs bumped against the bed, she growled and quickly spun around, practically throwing Jacen onto the bed. Before he had even stopped bouncing, she grabbed the front of his jeans and quickly shucked him out of them. With a feral grin, Tenel Ka launched herself at him again, only vaguely aware when her shockingly purple bra got chucked across the room. As Jacen's hands continued to caress her back, she forced herself to stop. Pulling her lips away from his, she continued to stare into those brown eyes of his as they both tried to control their breathing. Before she could let them go any further, there was one thing she _had_ to know: would he lie to protect her feelings? Was he committed to her, for better _and_ worse? Whispering, she simply stated, "Jacen, it has only been you."

Jacen's eyes widened in shock with her admission as he continued to run his hands down her back. Stalling for time to think, "I assumed…with so many handsome suitors hanging about…"

Her eyes widened slightly at his tone and she tried to hide a grimace as her heart fell. _He knows._..

_(_)_

After she knew for certain that she was pregnant with Allana, she made plans to sleep with a few of her suitors. This, combined with her ability to slow her pregnancy down, would hide Allana's true parentage.

Tenel Ka allowed herself to appear to be 'wooed' by one of the many handsome young men always hanging about. Doing her best to make it look discreet, and knowing that she still being observed, she invited him to her quarters for a nightcap. Truth be told, he was much smarter than she had imagined, and they actually had a pretty decent conversation. Finally, before it became _too _obvious that she was stalling, she led him to her chambers. As she lay on the bed, she tried to enjoy his ministrations, as he was _quite_ talented. But she could not; she felt...nothing. After they had finished, she commanded him to leave. Seeing his look of rage, she got the feeling that if her lightsaber had not been in plain sight, he would have forced himself on her again. Glaring at her, the young man left not bothering to get dressed until he was out in the hallway. Needless to say, she did not sleep that evening.

Forcing her to believe this was the right thing to do, Tenel Ka picked other suitors once a week for three more weeks, disgusted by her behavior; she had become the very person she _loathed_: her grandmother. She was using her body as a political tool-whoring herself out to protect her unborn child.

_(_)_

Jacen noticed her small reaction and buried his disappointment; it was not as if he were in a position to cast stones. Knowing that the 'truth is a point of view', he realized that Tenel Ka was separating sex from affection, and he held out hope that she thought him to be the only one who _mattered_. As he continued to search her face, he noticed the way her black hair framed her face made her look incredibly vulnerable. Some recessed part of his brain recognized the sheer irony of his situation: here he was, lying underneath an _almost_ naked Tenel Ka, one of the most desired women in the galaxy, and he was only looking into her fantastic grey eyes. More than ever, he wanted to lie about Danni; he knew that his Queen would be crushed by his admission, that she would send him packing. "I…" he stopped, remembering his resolution to himself from earlier that afternoon. No, he decided, better to explain the truth versus trying to rationalize a lie.

"I..." Jacen tried again, "I wish I could say the same. There has been one other." With his admission, his face fell and he noticed the necklace that she was wearing: a simple gold chain with a piece of the gort egg necklace that he had given her all of those years ago. Once again, he was chagrined by the absurdity of his situation: here was this topless goddess on top of him, and it is this old trinket that fascinates him. He narrowed his eyes and fingered the shell pendant gently before looking back into her eyes and saw that they had started to water. Surprisingly, her expression seemed to be asking if _he_ was angry that she had reset part of his gift. As he continued to look at her, he gently shook his head. The original necklace had been made with a leather string and was never suitable for a Queen to wear. The fact that she thought enough of his gift to put it on a different chain for her to wear with more formal attire impressed upon him how much she truly loved him. Ashamedly, he continued, "I _am_ sorry. It should have only been you. It wasn't and…"

She interrupted, sounding betrayed, "Who? Who was it?"

Jacen closed his eyes. _ She'll never forgive this_. "Danni." He admitted, whispering. He reopened his eyes to look into hers, his heart breaking, "Danni," he repeated, feeling that she deserved an explanation. "Her and I, we'd both been through so-o-o much. I think that we simply needed to feel 'human' again."

Inwardly, the raven-haired queen was ecstatic; Jacen had said the same thing that Danni had-almost verbatim. "Do you regret it?" She asked softly, her voice betraying no emotion.

Jacen shook his head sadly, mentally wishing that she would just dump him and be done with it. "I regret that it wasn't you. It _should've_ been you." He sighed again as he moved his fingers over her cheek, "But I cannot regret my time with Danni Quee. She is quite a remarkable person."

With his final admission, the last of the barrier between them vanished-a pity that they were on Myrkr and would not find out until later. Jacen was surprised to see a smile. "Yes, she is."

With a flash of insight, Jacen realized that she had been testing him. Checking to see if he had _learned_. Interestingly, he found that he wasn't even disappointed. If he were in her shoes, he probably would have done the same thing. As he ran his fingers down her cheek and neck, stopping to run his fingers down her necklace, his eyes never left hers. "I love you."

"I know." His queen gave him a smile. Not just any smile, but the full-up 'Tenel Ka' smile; the smile that made him feel like he could do anything, so long as she was with him. Growling, she attacked him again. "Now, where were we?"

Some time later…

"Ja-acen!" Tenel Ka cried out as she collapsed onto his chest, both of them trying to catch their breath, her getting goose bumps again as he ran his hands down her sides and back. As her breathing slowed, she whispered, "That was…"

"…Amazing!" Jacen finished as he started to play with her hair. Finally, she sighed and slid off to his left side, nestling against him and running her finger through his hair.

After a few minutes, Jacen said quietly, "It hasn't been like that for a while."

His queen propped himself on her elbow to look at him. _It hasn't _been_ for a while_. But, she was not foolish enough to voice that opinion; she _was_ rather hoping for an encore, after all. Instead, she replied, "It hasn't." She gave a small sigh as he lightly ran a finger down her sternum.

Looking at her earnestly, "We will just have to try to make up for lost time." She laughed in response and began kissing him deeply, pulling him on top of her.


	5. Chapter 5--Finding Ourselves

A/N: One more chapter with 'European Teen' content! I thought about paring this chapter down, but decided against it for two reasons. One: I still thought that TK/J needed to 'bond' a bit more; they hadn't been really talking to each other for a quite a while and they needed a chance to become 'them'. Two: there is a decided lack of TK/J on here, so I'm rectifying that! This is the last chapter set in the 'present' and concludes part I. Most of part II is finished, but I need to finish writing the 'bridge' chapter, and I have to move myself halfway across country for work starting at the end of next week. Short story long, it will be two weeks before I will be able to get part II started where we will see the events that led us to Myrkr. As a peace offering, I gave y'all an extra long chapter! Again, thanks to all those who are reading! Happy belated Valentine's Day, everyone!

**Chapter 5 – Finding Ourselves**

Tenel Ka awoke slowly, scowling to herself as she stretched languidly in the bed; Jacen had left, and judging by the fact that she could no longer feel his warmth in the sheets, he had been gone a while. Sitting up, with the sheets gathering at her waist, she noticed that Jacen had taken his lightsaber from the top of her dresser and smiled to herself. _He must have gone for a walkabout_. After all, the two of them had lived on Yavin long enough to know the dangers of walking around unarmed in the forest.

During their long conversation last night, she had forgotten to mention that she had a prosthetic arm made. _Well,_ _I might was well let the arm out of the bag!_ Rolling her eyes at the bad joke, she got up off of the bed and made her way to the small chest of drawers standing against the right wall. _Ugh._ _He is _such_ a horrible influence_. Deciding on neon green underwear for today, she padded over to the closet, where her fake arm hung. After checking the battery charge, she went about putting it on, not an easy thing to do without help. Once she got the arm fitted properly and operational, she took a look out of the window scowling at the gloomy, misty weather. Grabbing a pair of black canvas cargo pants, she sat at the foot of the bed to pull them on and then selected her favorite long-sleeve t-shirt from the drawer; a purple shirt with the logo of Jacen's favorite smash-ball team she had stolen from him years ago. After pulling the shirt down, Tenel Ka took a look in the mirror as she tied a knot in the shirt at the waist, rolled up the sleeves a bit, and made a face at her hair, combing it with her fingers. _Good enough_. One of the things that she loved most about Jacen was the fact that he never seemed to care how she looked.

After walking into the kitchen, she noticed the note Jacen had left concerning his whereabouts.

Went on a walk. Left at 1100. Catch me up, if you'd like-We need to talk.  
Love you,  
Jacen

The grey-eyed kidnapper allowed a slight smile at the first line. _Jacen and his nature walks_! She looked at the clock on the oven, 1230. She had to read the third sentence twice. There was something about the wording…slowly, a predatory smile crossed her face. _Oh, I would _'like'. Her smile disappeared at the last line. _Something is wrong._ 'We need to talk.' _About what? _In her experience, nobody ever said something like that about good news. _Damn it, Jacen. We just _fixed_ us._ _What are you doing?_ Idly, she drummed the fingers of her right hand on the countertop. The last two sentences were at complete odds with each other. The first sentence implied one thing, the second another. From his note, Jacen seemed confused; and she knew that a confused Jacen was a Jacen that tended to do rash things. Hitting the countertop with fake hand, she decided to simply ignore his last sentence and act on the one prior. Satisfied with her plan, she hit the 'call button' hidden in one of the kitchen drawers. With an audible 'chirp', Talon Karrde's culinary droid, K-8, came rolling out of its storage closet; the droid that Tenel Ka had managed to keep hidden from Jacen the night before. "Good afternoon Mistress. What can I do for you?"

Tenel Ka smiled as she nodded demurely at the droid. "Good afternoon, Kate. Do you know how to make a pie crust?"

It is impossible, of course, for a droid to get offended, but K-8 certainly _sounded_ like it was, "Of course, mistress. I _did_ mention that I am proficient at over three million recipes. Furthermore, we _did_ make a quiche last night."

Grimacing, she fought the urge to stick out her tongue, "Oh, right. We did." Shaking her head in disbelief at her own playfulness, she directed the droid politely, "Great. Please get started on making another one, but we won't need a pie tin. Just roll out the dough." She held up her hand to forestall any arguments, "I am going to gather some hiking gear and I'll come back to give you some help with the actual baking."

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that Kate sighed in exasperation. "Certainly mistress." With that, the droid raised a hydraulically-operated arm to grab the flour out of the cupboard.

Still shaking her head, the black-haired monarch walked back down the hall in search of a backpack.

_(_)_

Jacen had wandered more or less aimlessly for over an hour, making sure to leave a mark on a tree every so often with his lightsaber. He wasn't one-hundred percent sure that Tenel Ka would follow him out here on such a gloomy day, but he didn't want her to get lost if she did. Truth be told, he didn't really want to get lost, either. After about an hour of meandering through the woods, Jacen found a small rock formation overlooking a shallow gorge complete with a bubbling creek at the bottom. On this rock, he sat contemplating what he been doing over the last ten years, guilt and despair threatening to overwhelm him. _What _has_ become of me?_ Removing his lightsaber from his belt, he sat and stared at the weapon as he wallowed in his depression.

_(_)_

Tenel Ka found a hiking backpack, sleeping bag, and a small tent much quicker than she thought possible. Apparently, Shada and Talon liked to _really_ get away from people. Making her way back into the kitchen, she saw that Kate was just finishing with rolling out her crust. "I'm back Kate! Here is the plan…" Inwardly, she cringed again; when was the last time she sounded…chipper? Shaking her head at being so out of character, she outlined what she had planned.

Once her and Kate finished with the pastries, Kate put them into the oven to bake and Tenel Ka busied herself getting a few provisions into the pack, along with several items of clothing for her and Jacen; tradition dictated spending a night outdoors, after all.

Once she had finished packing the pastries into her backpack, she nodded at the culinary droid. "Thanks Kate, we'll be back in a couple of days."

After closing the door to Talon's complex, she searched the surrounding forest for some sort of clue as to where Jacen had gone. Again, both of them remembered just how dangerous the jungle could be, and she knew that he would not go out without leaving some sort of trail, especially on a planet that made using the Force impossible. After a few moments of looking, she found the tell-tale burn marks of a lightsaber on one of the trees surrounding the complex and headed in that direction, smiling in appreciation at Jacen's survival skills. Once there, she immediately saw the second marker and had little difficulty in following Jacen's 'path'; although, if she were a betting woman, she would wager that he did as much for his benefit as hers. Because she had a ready-made path to follow and because she wasn't as lost in thought during her hike, it didn't take Tenel Ka nearly as long as it did Jacen to find the rock outcropping that he was currently perched on.

Spotting him from about one hundred meters away, she carefully eased closer, a predatory smile crossing her face. Using her hunter's instincts, she surveyed the terrain coming to the conclusion that an attack launched from his blindside would be easiest, but she discarded that idea as she wasn't sure about what lie in front of him, and had no desire to damage her prey. As she slowly took off her pack, she noticed that there was a rock-free patch of moss slightly behind and slightly to the right of his rock. _Yes, that will do nicely._ This plan would necessitate an attack from his left, and he was slightly angled that way, but that only upped the challenge. Looking about, she found a nice shrub to launch her 'attack' from. Grinning to herself, she started to circle around to her left in the direction of the shrub, never taking her eyes off of Jacen. As she circled around, it was only after she had closed to within about twenty-five meters that she realized that something was wrong: this was not Jacen being contemplative; this was something else entirely. Crouching behind a large shrub, the Dathomiri hunter stopped to observe her best friend, finally noticing that his shoulders were shaking. With a bolt of insight, she realized that Jacen Solo was crying and frowned slightly; in the entire time that she had known him she could only remember one other time when he had actually _cried_. Her plan to subdue him forgotten, she moved to stand up and rush to his side, until she saw that he was holding his lightsaber in front of him and leaning on it with his forehead. _Jacen? _she sent, forgetting she was still on Myrkr.

Mentally chastising herself, Tenel Ka quietly moved closer, not wanting to startle him. From experience, she knew that startling a depressed person with a lightsaber is _not_ a good idea; Anhaje had surprised her once in the palace gardens shortly after her coronation, and had almost been skewered. The two of them joke about it now, but at the time Tenel Ka had rattled her aide badly. When she got within ten meters, she could start to make out what he was mumbling to himself…

_(_)_

Jacen had not moved from his rock for the better part of half-an-hour, watching the creek bubble off of the rocks in the small gorge in front of him, fully immersing himself in his misery. He loved Tenel Ka more than life, but he had caused her nothing but pain. As he continued to stare at his weapon, he let his grief overwhelm him. As his body racked with sobs, he realized that Vergere would be terribly disappointed in him. _Get in line, bird. So is everyone else. _Jacen started rocking himself back and forth, "I can't. I can't do this to her anymore. I can't…I can't...I can't..." He repeated it over and over, almost like a mantra. He almost didn't hear when a soft voice called out to him. "Jacen?"

_(_)_

"I can't…I can't…I can't…"

The Queen Mother continued to creep closer as she listened to Jacen chant quietly until she was about five meters away. Slowly, she started to stand, calling softly, "Jacen?" Startled, he looked up, trying to find the voice and she tried again, "Jacen?" He looked over at her and her heart fell. Jacen looked a mess; his eyes completely bloodshot, his nose running-clearly he had been crying for a while. Slowly approaching him like she had seen him do so many times with wild animals, she cautiously reached out and gently took his lightsaber from him. "You can't what, Jacen?"

He offered her a weak smile as he looked at her. Rubbing his eyes, he joked weakly, "So that's what happened to my 'Maruaders' t-shirt. I always wondered where it went." He wondered if she knew how sexy she looked in his old t-shirt, especially tied at the waist like it was. Suddenly, it dawned on him that Tenel Ka was holding his hand in _two_ of hers. Frowning, he asked quietly, "When did you get the prosthetic?"

_Typical Jacen; always wanting to talk about me_. "Later." Smiling slightly, she asked again, "Can't do what, Jacen?"

He looked away, down into the small gorge. "Why do you stay with me? I have caused you _nothing_ but pain." He took a deep breath, embracing the pain he felt, "I was _never_ there for you. I can't do this to you anymore." His voice filled with despair, "You deserve better."

"Jacen," Tenel Ka turned his head back to her with her left hand, "I understand. You were being _tortured_. You can't think that I begrudge you that." With a sudden flash of insight, Tenel Ka caught on that he was not talking about that, he meant more recently. Letting out a small gasp, she covered her mouth with her right hand; Father was right; she _had_ been treating Jacen horribly over the last few years.

Leaning forward to lean her forehead against his, she looked into his fabulous brown eyes and started to whisper. "This is all _my_ fault." Feeling him start to shake his head, she used her 'queeny voice' to keep his attention, "No, Jacen Solo, you _must_ listen to me." Jacen froze and wrinkled his brow as he looked back into her eyes. "You have only ever wanted to be my Prince Consort, but_ I_ was too afraid. I _forced_ you to lie." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to control her emotions. "I implied that if word got out, I would blame you. I hinted that I would withhold Allana from you." Jacen was her only love, and she had _threatened_ him: 'Lie for me, or never see your daughter again.' Who does that? How much longer could she expect him to wait for her to get over her fear? Fear of a nobility that she didn't even _like_. Teneniel would be ashamed of her daughter: ashamed that her daughter let _Hapes_ decide what she could do. If Tenel Ka had been in Jacen's shoes, she would have left years ago.

As Queen Mother, she had failed him. She had failed _them_ with her fear. "I forgot. I forgot what _we _are capable of. I forgot that we would have survived the initial onslaught of Hapan indignation." She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss before pulling back, leaving her forehead resting against his. "I forgot that _we_ were a team once. Please forgive me." He only nodded, and she could no longer stop the tears. Gently, he shifted to his right, making room for her on the rock. Sitting next to him, she put her head on his left shoulder and cried about their lost opportunities, with him slowly stroking her hair with his left hand.

A few minutes later, after she got control of her emotions again, she sat up to look at him again. "To answer your question, I stay because I need you around. You make me…me." He snorted at her admittance. "Do you know what I was doing earlier?" Jacen shook his head. "I told a _joke_, Jacen. To _myself_." She saw his smirk. "I _bantered_…with a droid." She smiled as Jacen wiped a tear from her cheek. "_You_ do this to me. I need you."

Tenel Ka leaned closer and kissed him. As their kisses became more passionate, she pulled back, breathing heavily. Her eyes searching his, she breathed, "I... 'caught you up'."

Jacen raised one eyebrow but said nothing; the phrasing on the note had _not_ been accidental. Finally, he replied softly, "Yes, you did."

Smiling, she leaned back and took his hand again, "Therefore, as a full member of the Singing Mountain Clan, I hereby invoke all rights and privileges inherent in said capture."

Squinting slightly, her 'captive' asked confusedly, "Meaning?"

Tenel Ka's smile got bigger. He knew. She knew that he knew. Somehow, that just made it all the more special. "Jacen Solo, will you marry me? Will you allow me to name you the Prince Consort of the Hapes Consortium?"

Jacen only smiled as he dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Hearing her gasp of surprise, he opened the box. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the ring inside. It was the most exquisite ring she had ever seen. Made of platinum, at the center was a modest-sized green Corusca stone in a triangular cut, surrounded on either side by three small diamonds. "Tiki, I have been waiting for you to ask me this for a long time." He had not called her by that in ages, and the fact that he used it now brought new tears to her eyes.

"It would be _my_ honor to be your husband." He removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto her right ring finger.

After he did, she raised her hand to examine his ring. Her brow creased with concentration. "This Corusca stone. Is it from…?"

Jacen smiled and interrupted, "…the same stone that I made my lightsaber from? Yes."

She grinned at his answer as she continued to look at the ring, her smile faded as she got a closer look at the diamonds. The smaller stones didn't look quite like diamonds, they looked more like… her eyes widened with the recognition... volcanic crystals. Looking over at him, "You have been carrying these around all this time?" Jacen only nodded as he kissed the top of her forehead.

Massaging her back, he explained, "After Master Luke shooed us out of the infirmary, I went back to where we had been practicing to…clean up." Jacen smiled humorlessly, "I remember feeling that I needed to be doing _something_. Anyway, as I was doing so, I found these remnants of your lightsaber crystal." He paused, trying to find the right words, "I didn't think that you would ever talk to me again, and I needed to keep a reminder of what my inattention had cost me." Tenel Ka raised her head to look into his eyes. "Even then, I knew that you were someone special." Squeezing her hand, "For the longest time, I carried the shards of your first crystal in a pouch around my neck." He stopped to dry her left eye. "After Allana was born, I had them set in this ring in the hopes that you would some day ask me to marry you." He left unsaid the countless times he had hinted about getting married, with her always giving reasons why they could not.

Tenel Ka leaned forward to kiss her fiancé. _Jacen has _fantastic_ taste in jewelry_. After they broke their kiss, she nestled herself into his side and put her head on his shoulder, feeling truly content for the first time since before the war. "You've been carrying it around all this time?"

Jacen gave a small snort, "I know, it sounds pretty pathetic, doesn't it?" Even without looking at her, he could see her small smirk. "I carried it with me every time I came to see you, on the off chance that you would finally ask." He paused again. "Lately, I have had to make my visits more 'spontaneous' to keep Lumiya from finding out about you, so I'd taken to keeping your ring in my GAG jacket." Tenel Ka remembered that Danni had grabbed the jacket on her way out of the hotel room, explaining that it might look bad having a GAG uniform jacket in her room without knowing the whereabouts of the GAG member.

Tenel Ka nodded at his explanation, surmising that Lumiya was also the main reason that he had hidden so much from the Force recently. For a long while, neither spoke, content to sit and listen to the sounds of the stream gurgling below them. Finally, Jacen brought them out of their reverie. "So…now what?"

Tenel Ka sighed, unwilling to let go of the moment; she had wanted this moment for almost fifteen years, and was reluctant to leave it. "When we get back to Hapes, I will make a formal announcement that I consider you to be _the_ suitor."

Jacen frowned, "That's it? We could've done that years ago." He tried to keep his tone light, but she could tell that he was hurt. Once again, she was embarrassed by her fear. She had let her fear of what 'might happen' override her desire to be a family. Her fear had almost ruined them.

"Not quite. Tradition dictates that we spend some indeterminate time apart to prove that you…we… will stay loyal." She added the 'we' to assuage his feelings. On Hapes, the man who was expected to remain faithful, while the woman…well, the woman was free, and encouraged, to wander. She neglected to mention the other reason for the custom, which was to allow the woman time to ensure that her chosen mate was the truly the one she wanted. A 'cooling off period', so to speak.

"We've already done that. What's the next step?"

Tenel Ka rolled her eyes at him, "_We_ know that, but they do not." Grimacing, she added, "Please Jacen, we have plenty of time to change Hapan customs; let us not try to take them all on at once." Giving him a knowing smile, she continued, "Since your new job won't have as many 'odd hours', I would like Allana to live on Coruscant with you. It will give both of you time to adjust to each other without me around. And, it will let Allana spend some time with her Grandparents."

Jacen wasn't sure how her 'Eyes' had found out that he would be working with Gorah, but he wasn't _too_ surprised-the Hapans were getting much too good at the espionage game. "Okay." He agreed. "How long?"

She crinkled her nose, "I think that a year would be best." She held her fingers to his lips to forestall his pending protestations, "A year in which Hapans will see that you are doting father to your _adopted_ daughter. A year that you will demonstrate to Hapans how good an administrator you can be, even for a charity. A year where we would be seen together _a lot_, reinforcing the idea to my people that we are equals, much like the example that Mother and Father were trying to set."

Jacen sighed, conceding the point. "You've given this a lot of thought."

The grey-eyed queen nodded in agreement, "Years." Her eyes narrowed. "There is one more thing, though." She chuckled at his groan. "Dathomiri custom dictates that we consummate our engagement outside."

Jacen's eyes widened in shock as he looked around their part of the forest, "Outside?"

She kissed him again, "Relax, I brought a sleeping bag." Smirking at Jacen's her suspicious look, Tenel Ka stood and started walking away, adding over her shoulder, "And a tent."

Jacen chuckled as he followed her off their rock and grabbed her right hand, idly running his pinky over her new ring. As they made their way to where she had left her backpack, she told him about her prosthetic arm, and why she had gotten it.

Later, as they were trying to get the two-person tent set up in some sort of usable configuration, he nodded at her new arm. "It does seem like a lot of money to spend for a costume piece."

Tenel Ka only shrugged in response. Looking over at Jacen, she scowled, "No, you have to run that pole through these loops first." She directed, pointing to what she had just done and then to the loops on his side of the tent. Looking sheepish, Jacen only rolled his eyes, muttering something about 'dorky Dathomiri traditions.' The Queen Mother smiled to herself as she pretended not to hear. "Anyway, the arm has other uses besides just disguise. I would never be able to help with this tent, for example." Jacen nodded as he finished routing the offending pole through the correct loops. As they each took a couple of steps clockwise around the tent to start on the next support pole, she continued her explanation, "And, since I plan on spending _quite_ a bit of time with you on Coruscant, this arm makes it _much_ easier to pilot the _Dragon_."

Finishing with the second pole, they again took a couple of more steps to the left to thread the last pole through the tent fabric. As they did, Jacen shook his head; he should have known that his fiancée never did things on a whim. _My fiancée?_ He smiled._ That has a nice sound to it._ Shooting her a wink, "Clever girl." He noticed her smile and reflected that she had been doing that more often while they were here on Myrkr. "Do we stake it down first, or do we attach the rain cover?"

Taking a quick look at the diagram, "It looks like we stake the tent and rain cover separately."

Jacen nodded and tossed her a couple of stakes and lengths of cord. "Have you thought about getting a permanent prosthetic?" He asked as they both bent down to pound the stakes into the ground.

Tenel Ka nodded, but realized that she was on the opposite side of the tent and was now out of sight. Shaking her head at herself, she answered as she started to bang a stake into the ground with a rock, "I have."

From the other side of the tent, she heard the next Hapan Crown Prince give a snort, "I sense a 'but' coming."

"You are _too_ astute." She heard a chuckle before he, too, started to pound a stake into the ground. "New opponents have a way of underestimating me and my abilities since I have only one arm. I use that to my advantage." She also liked the intimacy that Jacen showed when he massaged her left arm, but decided not to let him know that yet.

"Makes sense, I guess." Frowning in concentration, he thought about her answer; her reply seemed too…rehearsed. "And the real reason?"

Scowling in his general direction, she found herself impressed that he saw through her reasons. Even though they had been...distant for a while, he still knew her better than anyone. Quietly, she answered, "Hapans value beauty too much. We need reminders that life is not always perfect." She paused, and even though she could not see it, she could almost feel Jacen's understanding smile. "Even with our plastic surgeons, there are still thousands of Hapans that carry scars from the war. My left arm allows me a sort of solidarity with them; that even though I am just as scarred as they are, we can still do great things."

Jacen stood to look at his fiancée over the tent. Even after all of these years, Tenel Ka proved herself to be one of the emotionally strongest people he had ever met. Smiling, he offered her the best compliment he could think of: "Your mother would be proud."

Tenel Ka only gave a small nod, fully understanding what he was trying to get across. She did not suffer compliments very well, but deep down, Jacen's comment warmed her soul. No one else, save her father, knew how much she feared not being able to live up to Teneniel's legacy.

They finished assembling the tent in silence, content to let the gurgling stream down below act as their conversation. As they admired their handiwork, Jacen gave her a quick kiss and in an unspoken agreement, headed away from the campsite in search of dry firewood as Tenel Ka dug some hotdogs and buns out of the backpack and made a small fire circle with some nearby rocks.

Jacen returned about ten minutes later with an armload of wood. Dumping it on the ground not too far from her fire circle, he commented "I found a brush pile about two hundred meters from here, so we should be good to go." After stacking some of the logs in the circle, he made a show of searching his pockets. "Now, if we can only find some matches."

Tenel Ka only arched an eyebrow and ignited her lightsaber, the characteristic _snap-hiss_ resonating through the mist-covered forest. She held the tip near some of the kindling, and a small fire started momentarily.

Jacen only looked stunned. "Huh. I knew there was a reason I invited you along!" Shooting him a 'whatever' look, she handed him two relatively long, thin sticks and a pocketknife. He only grinned at her as he sat cross-legged near the fire and started to whittle down the sticks for roasting the hotdogs that he saw sitting out.

Some time later, as the low clouds began to drizzle and the light started to wane, they sat side by side in front of the fire, munching on their hotdogs. Jacen looked over at Tenel Ka, "Now this..." he gestured to the half-eaten hotdog in his left hand, "…this is what 'Tenel Ka cuisine' is all about." She bonked into him with her shoulder as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile. "By the way, I found out about Kate."

Her eyes got wide as she chocked on her bite. "When?" She put her hand over her mouth to avoid spitting out her bite. "I mean…who is Kate?"

Jacen only shook his head. "Nice try." He reached over and wiped a crumb from the corner of her mouth. "When I was pouring a bowl of cereal this morning, who should come rolling out of her cupboard, but Mr. Karrde's culinary droid." Drily, he continued, "I had _quite_ the enlightening conversation with his lovely K-8 droid."

Meekly, Tenel Ka tried for a rebuttal, "I did pour the mixture into the pie crust." Jacen's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "Oh, that reminds me…" Getting up and walking over to the backpack, she reached in and grabbed a large plastic bag, throwing it to Jacen.

He snorted as he caught it one-handed. Looking through the clear plastic, "You made Cini-minis!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

She sat down next to him again, her eyes sparkling, "Your note sounded a little…confused. I thought that these would help." Her mind flashed back to one of her earliest days at the Academy…

_(_)_

She had stomped back to her room, having just finished talking with Ta'a Chume, and the former Queen Mother practically ordered her to come back to Hapes and be a 'proper princess'. "Enough of listening to Mr. Skywalker and his damn lies." Ta'a Chume had said. Tenel Ka did not remember what she had said in reply, but it had made her grandmother blanche—an ability that she did not think was even possible; she didn't think Ta'a Chume had blood enough in her system _too_ blanche. Their conversation only went downhill from there.

Later, as she sat brooding in her quarters, there was a knock on the door. Reaching out with her rudimentary Force skills, she sensed the Solo brats. "Go away!"

Chuckling, Jacen mumbled to his sister, "I _told_ you she wouldn't want to see anyone." Addressing his friend through the door, Jacen answered, "No. We aren't leaving. We are going to stand here and knock on this door until you answer." He started tapping lightly on the door to prove his point. "Besides, we brought snacks."

Tenel Ka sighed with exasperation. _Will no one leave me alone?_ Getting up, she palmed the door open. "What?"

Undeterred, the two of them only grinned at her. Jaina, holding a large plate covered in foil, answered with a straight face, "The problem with being a Jedi is that _everyone_ knows how you're feeling." Giving the young warrior girl a wink, she nodded over at her brother, "Jacen made some of Dad's Cini-Minis for you." Tenel Ka gave her a confused look. As a way of explanation, Jaina continued, "Dad used to make them for Mom when she had an especially bad day."

Jacen looked apologetic, "They're nothing special; just a piecrust that I've buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Roll it up, cut the crust into pieces and bake." He removed the foil, "Try one, they're pretty good."

More to humor her new friends than anything else, and as a way to get them both to leave, the red-haired girl tried one. Having been used to decadent desserts at the palace, she really wasn't expecting much. As she took a bite, her eyes opened in shock-they were _divine_. Taking the plate from Jaina, she nearly smiled. "I have some milk in my 'fridge, if you would care to join me." As Jacen smiled and closed the door, Tenel Ka looked at her friends again and tried to convey her appreciation-appreciation for the snack, for the sentiment, for being…thoughtful. "Thank you." The twins both sensed what she was getting at and smiled.

_(_)_

As he opened the bag, she leaned into him with her left shoulder. "You realize that you ruined dessert forever for me with these things, right?"

Jacen chuckled as he handed her one of the scrumptious morsels. "Hey, don't blame me-blame Dad. He's the one who started making these things." He took a bite, getting crumbs all over his lap. With his mouth still full of 'mini, "Oh, I've got a drink to go with these." Still munching, he made his way over to the rock that he was sitting at earlier and found the thermos that he had left. Pouring some of the contents into the cup that doubled as a lid, he handed it to Tenel Ka. "Try this. Tahiri introduced it to me; she mentioned that Talon Karrde offered it to her once, and she's been hooked since." He gave her a wry look, "Since we are at Talon's place, I asked Kate if she had any about."

Tenel Ka swirled the contents and took a cautious sniff of the still warm liquid. Her grandmother had taught her long ago to be leery of food that was offered. A trait that she still had yet to unlearn. A small frown crossed her face when she could not place the interesting aroma. Finally deciding to tempt fate, she took a sip. Raising her eyebrows appreciatively, "This is good. What does she call it?"

Sitting down again next to her, "Apple cider. And before you ask, I have _no_ idea where Karrde found it." Shaking his head, "When I asked Tahiri, she mumbled something about it being 'an ancient Chinese secret'." Chuckling humorlessly, "I have no idea what she meant."

The Queen Mother cocked her head and frowned, "Chinese? That is not a race that I am familiar with."

"Me neither." Jacen agreed as he got up to put more wood on the fire. Finished, he again sat down next to her and asked, "Okay, so what's the difference between the Ruling Council and the Royal Council?"

She narrowed her eyes as she watched him sit next her again. _What brought this on?_ Mentally shrugging, she answered. "The Ruling Council is made up of representatives from each of the sixty-three worlds in the Consortium, two council members per world." Jacen nodded as he gazed into the fire, "The Royal Council is what you would call a 'Cabinet'. It is made up of the Minister of External Affairs, Defence Minister, Finance Minister, et cetera. There are twelve individuals on the Royal Council."

For the rest of the remaining evening and deep into the night, they munched on cini-minis and talked politics. Jacen asked if the Ruling Council was appointed or elected. (It depends upon the world they represent: on some worlds the planetary Senate elects two of its members to the post, with confirmation from the Governor; on others, the position is appointed by the planetary Governor, and confirmed by the Senate.) He inquired about the length of the term. (Five years, with a two-term maximum, excepting the nine remaining members from the Noble Houses. They were a life-time appointment, but only voted when there was a tie vote.) He knew that she had successfully pushed through a measure that allowed for the direct election of the planetary Senates, but inquired on their length of terms. (Four years, three-term maximum) Jacen wanted to know how matters were delineated between one of planetary jurisdiction and one of Consortium jurisdiction. She admitted that was always a contentious issue. Sometimes, issues that looked to be only a planetary matter oftentimes had ways of becoming an issue for the entire Consortium.

With the rain getting a bit heavier, they stamped out the fire, and Jacen asked about how planetary judges were selected for single-world disputes. (Appointed by the popularly-elected district councils to single, ten-year term) While hanging her backpack from a tree to keep any wildlife from scavenging their food, he inquired about the Crown judges and how they assumed the role. (All Crown judges are appointed by the Queen Mother, and must be approved by the Ruling Council. Appointments were for a four-year term, with a four term limit. There is also a Seven-Member Royal Supreme Court, with the same procedures as the Crown Court, appointed to a single twenty-year term.)

After they entered the tent, Jacen helped her remove her prosthetic as she continued with her 'civics' lessons. With a touch of sadness, it occurred to her that she had been a fool for not asking Jacen Solo to marry her years ago. Tenel Ka had always looked to him for advice, but now he would be an _advisor_. To many, a difference in semantics, but to her, it was so much more.

As she was getting into their sleeping bag, the importance of the Dathomiri tradition dawned on Tenel Ka. It wasn't about the sex...well, okay it was...but it was also about two people getting away from all the distractions and simply being by themselves on the night of their betrothal. She cuddled up with Jacen as he joined her, her right hand lying across his chest. Idly, as they lay side-by-side listening to the rain, he started playing with her ring again. Whispering, he confessed, "I had almost given up hope that you would ask me."

Guilt ate at her. While most people would always think that Jacen managed to win some sort of lottery by 'landing' the Queen Mother, to her it was the other way around; she was truly the lucky one. "I love you, you know. I have for a very long time."

Jacen merely kissed her forehead as they drifted off to sleep listening to the rain as it continued to pelt their tent, Dathomiri traditions forgotten.

_(_)_

Hours later, Tenel Ka awoke with a start. Frowning, she tried to determine what had roused her out of her slumber. _There._ She heard it again-there was something sniffing around their encampment. Gently shaking Jacen, trying to wake him up. "Jacen!" she whispered in his ear, "Jacen!"

His eyes shot open and he sat up slightly. Tilted his head, he listened to the quiet rustling of an animal outside the tent and with a soft exhale, he visibly relaxing and laid back down.

Incredulous, she hissed at him. "There is _something_ out there!"

Gently stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, "It's fine."

Angrily, she knocked his hand away, sitting up to grab her lightsaber. As she did, he lunged, grabbing the back of her t-shirt and pulled her back forcefully, her head making a dull thud against the pillow. "No!" He whispered, firmly putting his hand on her chest to prevent her from getting up. "No." Jacen repeated. "You don't know how many are out there. It's _just_ a vornskr, it'll get bored and move on."

Determined not to just huddle in a tent and wait for death, she again knocked his hand away and quickly sat up. Jacen just as quickly grabbed her by the waist and yanked her backwards so that she was now sitting on his lap. Still whispering, almost pleading, "Do _not_ go out there. It can't get our food, and it won't come in here." As he said this, the sounds of a second vornskr became evident. Both apparently had heard a scuffle from within the tent and were curious.

Her voice full of fear, she whispered angrily, "They will! This is just a tent. They will rip through and attack us."

Jacen put his chin on her shoulder and hugged her to him as she started to tremble. _What brought this on?_ He had never seen Tenel Ka _actually _afraid. Rationally, he knew that she occasionally felt fear, everyone did-but, she _never_ showed it. Not like this. Suddenly, Anakin's mission jumped his mind. Keeping his voice calm, he started to whisper into her ear; "Tiki, they are _not_ voxyn." He could hear her try to calm herself down. "Vornkrs do _not_ have that kind of intelligence. To them, this tent is as solid as a building." On the left side of the tent, a third vornskr could be heard scratching outside the tent. Tenel Ka let out a slight whimper, and her trembling got worse. He kissed her ear, and continued to whisper soothingly, "Shhh…it'll be alright." He felt her put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming, and he was starting to get _very_ worried. "Shh…they'll be leaving soon."

After a couple more minutes, the vornskrs had apparently gotten bored and had traipsed off in search of easier-to-access prey. Still holding her close, he whispered into her ear again, "I think they finally left." He could feel her relax, just a bit. "It sounded like there were four." He paused as the sounds became fainter. "You know, I've never actually _seen_ one…"

As he was moving to get his pants, Tenel Ka spun around and grabbed his arm, whispering frantically, "Don't. You. Dare!" When he turned to face her, she could see his teasing smile, even in the dark. She hit him, hard, in the shoulder with her right hand. "Don't you _dare_ mock me." she hissed, eyes flashing with barely-contained fury as she saw him rub his shoulder. _I hope that it leaves a bruise._

He scooted closer, his eyes confused. Explaining in a soothing voice, "I just wanted to take your mind off of the voxyn." He took her hand as he looked into her troubled face, imploring for an explanation.

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she looked down at their joined hands. "That was the worst day of my life. Seeing you dragged into that Vong ship, knowing that there was not a damn thing that I could do about it." She looked back into his eyes, losing herself in them. "And then you…died. You died… and I did _nothing_ to try save you." Jacen said nothing as he gently pulled her into a deep embrace. He knew what her guilt felt like; he had been living with those same feelings for over a decade. At least she didn't have to deal with the looks of scorn and hate that Jaina and Tahiri still unconsciously gave him on occasion.

After a few moments, Jacen became intensely aware that his fiancée was sitting on his lap, her legs wrapped around his torso. He started nibbling on her neck and was rewarded with a soft mewing sound. Slowly, she leaned backwards, wiggling her hips _just a little_, letting him move his hands up her sides as he removed her t-shirt. As his eyes drank in her form, he whispered, "You _are_ beautiful." Tenel Ka smiled as she leaned forward and kissed his nose and quickly yanked of his t-shirt.

She leaned forward into Jacen, grabbing his hair with her hand and heard him whisper, "Slowly, Tiki. Go slow." Biting her lip, she nodded once in reply. She felt him place his hands on her hips as he gently controlled their pace, almost so slow as to be unbearable; every fiber of her being wanted her to go faster, harder, but he refused to let her. He whispered again, "Slower, Tiki." Whereas the night prior had been about their physical needs, tonight was something different; they both understood that tonight was about two separate people becoming one on an emotional level. As they looked into each others eyes, she was telling him that she accepted him for all of his past demons, that she loved him for all of his faults; he was letting her know that he loved her even though their marriage would never truly be their own, that he understood just how complicated her life was. Tenel Ka was unaware how long they lasted, but after she shook for a third time, it ceased to matter. Somehow, she doubted that sex would ever be the same again, but was determined to try and find out.

As they were recovering later, Tenel Ka laying half on top of him, Jacen reflected that he was unaware that she could even _make_ noises like that. He ran his hands down her sides and she shuddered slightly. "Great-grandmother was right," she whispered, "sex _is_ better outside."

Jacen leaned back slightly, asking incredulously, "Your _grand_mother told you that?"

She only smirked as she gave him a knowing look, "You would be surprised about what I learned from my grandmothers!"

Jacen only shook his head as he leaned forward to kiss her again.

_(_)_

The next morning, Jacen exited the tent, expecting to find Tenel Ka outside. Instead, he found a barely flickering fire and a note scratched into the dirt. 'Back soon, Tiki.'

Shaking his head, he assumed that she had either gone for a run, (unlikely, given her fear of vornskrs) or needed to get something from the house. After stoking the fire to keep the morning chill at bay, he lowered her backpack down from where it hung and fished out a couple more hot dogs to cook. As he skewered the dogs onto the sticks, he heard movement from the direction of the house and saw his fiancée approach, a suspiciously mischievous smirk on her face. Looking at her warily, he asked, "Okay, I'll bite. What _are_ you up to?"

Instead of answering, she fished a folded piece of flimsy out of one of her cargo pockets and handed it to him. Reaching for it tentatively, he noticed that her smirk had become a full-up smile and her storm-grey eyes were alight with joy. Unfolding the flimisi, he looked down and noticed the letterhead at the top of an official memo: Hall of Records—Dathomir. Wrinkling his brow in confusion he started to read the memo.

From: Director of Civil Records, Singing Mountain Clan  
To: Tenel Ka Djo

Ms. Djo:

This is to inform you that we have reviewed both your application and supporting documentation. It is my pleasure to inform you of our decision: We find that you and Mr. Solo have met both the letter and intent of the Datomiri Émigré Marriage Act.

Enclosed is a temporary marriage certificate binding Jacen Solo to you for as long as you both shall live, dependent on both of you appearing before the Magistrate of the Singing Mountain Clan to officially file the required paperwork.

Congratulations to you both. May you both find happiness in you new life as wife and husband.

As he read the memo, Tenel Ka removed another flimsi from her pocket and gave it to him when he looked up. It was just as the memo said: a temporary marriage certificate. Jacen looked at her, clearly trying to understand this new development. "How…"

Taking his hand in hers, she explained. "The Duma wanted ex-pat Dathomiri women to be able to continue the spirit of the home world tradition, regardless of their current residence." Jacen's eyes grew wide, images of Dathomiri witches running around and capturing surprised men throughout the galaxy popping into his mind. Chuckling at his realization, she continued, "Nothing like that, I promise. In order to placate other worlds, the man has to agree to be captured _prior_ to the ritual." She continued to smirk at his disbelief. "Anyway, I contacted the director listed on the memo and sent a narrative to her of what transpired yesterday: I 'chased' you, 'captured' you, and…'mated' with you." She smiled suggestively at the last item. "That, coupled with the note that you had so thoughtfully left, proved that you were a willing participant and…" She once again reached into a pocket and produced a small box. "…voilà, we are now wife and husband." Tenel Ka opened the box and took out a simple platinum band overlaid with a reddish-grey strip running down the middle.

As she was slipping the ring onto his finger, Jacen focused on her eyes and whispered, "I do."

With a sharp intake of breath, Tenel Ka froze. Suddenly, the gravity of the situation caught up to her. As a silly teen, she had thought about it, dreamed about it, even going so far as to plan it once; but, in the farthest reaches of her heart, she knew that it would never really happen. She was the Chume'da of the Hapes Consortium; her long-time dream of marrying Jacen Solo was NEVER going to be a reality, a fact her grandmother reminded her of more than once. Now, as she finished placing Jacen's ring onto his finger, a smile again crossed her lips. _Kriff off, you foul bitch. I _did _marry the man of my dreams._

After gazing at each other for a couple of moments, Jacen lunged at her and enveloped her in the biggest, most powerful hug that he could, laughing the entire time.

Jacen was unwilling to release her for a long while. He had been harboring dreams of being married to Tenel Ka for ages, and now he was. He was smart enough to know that they would not be able to announce it to anyone; that they would have to stick to her plan of being 'engaged' for a year, but he didn't mind. He _was _married. To the Hapan Queen Mother, for crying out loud.

As she had done the day before, he held up his hand to examine her ring. "Titanium overlay?" he asked.

She nodded and added, "I had to replace several sections of the _Dragon_; I had this made out of one of those sections." Jacen smiled, he knew how much her ship meant to her. Her tone got softer and her eyes started to water, "We cannot…."

He put a finger to her lips. "I know." He gave her another smile, one to show that he wasn't angry. "We will stay with your original plan. May I wear it in private?"

Tenel Ka smiled warmly, "Of course." She should have known that Jacen would understand; he hardly ever begrudged her the complicated life she led as Queen.

Still smiling in disbelief, he continued to look at his ring. "The memo states it is 'temporary'?"

"Ah. We have sixty days to appear before my clan's Magistrate to file for an official license." Shrugging, she added, "Although, being Queen Mother, I can probably get an extension."

He shook his head emphatically, "We won't need one."

Jacen delighted in hearing her laugh again, "My thoughts exactly."

After spending the remainder of that day at their campsite, they made their way back to Talon Karrde's retreat and spent a last day there. Both knew that they were unlikely to be able to make a trip like this again and wanted to savor the moment.

_(_)_

Two days later...

As they made their way out to the _Rock Dragon_, Jacen noticed that the space that it was in was only just bigger than the ship itself; he also noticed that the tree canopy sheltered her ship from most overhead views. Only if you managed to be directly overhead the spot would you be able to see the _Dragon_. Squinting at the sight, he realized that it must've taken some _very_ clever maneuvering to get the ship in that spot and his estimation of Tenel Ka's piloting skills raised a couple of notches. Shooting her an appreciative look, she replied by merely offering a small shrug.

Jacen stopped a few steps short of the small freighter as Tenel Ka continued to walk over to the ramp, keying in the entry code. A small smile crept to his lips as all of the memories of them being on her ship came flooding back. Tenel Ka looked over her shoulder and smirked slightly at his reverie. "Do you remember how to do the exterior preflight?"

Her question snapped Jacen away from his thoughts as his smile got bigger, "Of course."

Winking at him, she started up the ramp. "Good. I shall start the initial power-up checklist."

Jacen chuckled as she disappeared from view. He had known her a long time, and could not ever remember her _winking_ at him. Putting the duffle bag down, he took three steps forward and started the exterior preflight. After checking the rubber seals around the entry ramp, he made his way around the _Dragon_ in a clockwise direction, his eyes never leaving the ship. Ducking under the ramp, he ran his left hand over the skin of her ship, almost like a caress, as he checked the nose-gear strut, hydraulic lines, and gear door. Jacen got lost in his memories again as he continued his inspection of the _Dragon_. Memories of Cloud City, Ryloth, Coruscant, Hapes, Yavin, Alderaan…all came back to him as he looked over the seals on the rarely used cargo door, the over-pressurization valves, and right landing gear struts. He snorted humorlessly. _Alderaan_. He hadn't thought of Alderaan in ages. It was ironic, really, that his father and uncle were still upset with his accidentally killing Fett's daughter when she had done her damndest to kill them all of those years ago.

Continuing aft, he heard the soft whine and whoosh of the auxiliary power unit coming on line. For him, that was the sound of another adventure about to start, the sound of being able to spend time with his best friend for a few hours with no other distractions. After Tenel Ka's laugh, that 'whoosh' of the APU was his next favorite sound in the galaxy. He could only shake his head at his sentimentality.

Jacen scowled as he noticed the slight bulge that started just forward of the engine compartment and continued aft: something didn't look right. Mentally, he started to compare what he was currently looking at with images of the _Dragon_ he had in his memory. Nope, something was different. Suddenly, it clicked: Tenel Ka had installed bigger engines. _Much_ bigger engines.

Chuckling to himself, he ducked under the fuselage and continued up the right side of the ship, making the same checks (minus the cargo door, as it was only on one side). Once he had made his return to the front of the ship, he backed away from the nose of the _Dragon_ to take a look at it front-on, checking the cockpit windows, pitot tubes, static ports, and sensors. Standing about ten meters from the front of her ship, he just stood and stared. It was odd, really: Teneniel and Isolder had given the _Dragon_ to Tenel Ka as a birthday present, he could count on one hand the number of times that he had actually _flown_ it, and he hadn't even seen it in over a decade, but, deep down, he still felt a deep affection for the _Rock Dragon_. He wasn't just speaking to Tenel Ka when he had said that the _Dragon_ represented what she was, what she wished to be; he was talking about himself, as well. _Dad would understand._

For several long minutes, Jacen just stared at the small freighter, a small smile on his lips. Truth be told, the _Rock Dragon_ wasn't all that much to look at, with its boxy, almost ungainly appearance; but to Jacen Solo, it was the most beautiful ship in the galaxy. A couple of minutes later, the Queen Mother approached, her initial 'power up' checks complete. He knew from experience that the navicomputers needed a few minutes to calibrate and the hydraulics needed time to warm up to operating temperature, so there was nothing to be done for the moment.

Jacen still had his goofy smirk when she stopped at his side. "What's with the smirk, Husband Jacen?" His smirk turned into a full-blown smile as he turned to look at his spouse. Only Tenel Ka could make 'husband' sound seductive.

"Five meters, huh?" Referring to how far she had 'shoved' poor Markus.

Her eyes sparkled as she suppressed a smile. "Well…maybe it was more like eight... Or nine."

Chuckling, he draped his left arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "That's my girl!" She only smiled as she took his hand and led him up the ramp.

Heading aft to her quarters to stow the duffle bag, Jacen whistled appreciatively at the new interior; she had totally renovated the _Dragon_. As the ship of a Hapan princess, it had always been well maintained; it just always seemed a bit…dingy. Now, however, it reminded Jacen of a first-class cabin on one of the passenger liners: classy without being pretentious. Making his way forward after securing the duffle, he realized that she had removed the left-side bunk rooms, which had been too small to be comfortable, and put in a circular booth and table and four large captains chairs.

Jacen stopped when he entered the cockpit, stunned. The entire flight deck had been converted to digital displays, and the former navigator's station had been replaced with a military-grade sensor station. He raised an eyebrow as Tenel Ka half-turned from her position in the copilot's seat. "Impressive." He commented, meaning it. The _Dragon_ would now put the _Jade Shadow_ to shame, and he _knew_ how much money Lando had sunk into Mara's ship. Jacen found himself looking forward to hearing her tale of how long it had taken her to refurbish the ship. Realizing that Tenel Ka was in the _copilot_ seat, he shot her a quizzical look.

Catching on, she shot him a wry smile. "I need to use my right hand to properly manipulate the control yoke." Jacen nodded, remembered her mentioning the prosthetic not having full dexterity. Continuing, "I do not need as much dexterity to operate the throttles with my left." Her smile got a little larger, and Jacen reflected on just how beautiful her smile was, "So, I decided to make this seat the 'pilot-in-command' seat."

Moving into the newly declared 'copilot' seat, he winked at her. "Well, _you're_ the captain."

"Fact." She replied, her eyes sparkling.

Jacen only chuckled as he dug a checklist out of the pocket on the left side of his seat and the two of them once again fell into their long-ago habit of getting the _Dragon_ ready for flight. Even though it was usually Jaina, Lowbacca, or Zekk that flew the ship, Tenel Ka always insisted that her and Jacen do the preflight checks. Partly, it was so the two of them could feel useful, but also it was because Jaina tended to be a tad…_cavalier_ about performing a preflight. Tenel Ka was nothing if not thorough, and she refused to allow shortcuts on _her_ ship. As they worked together performing the required checks, Jacen decided that was what had always drawn him to her. By not allowing shortcuts, by being 'by-the-book', Tenel Ka had often prevented them from rushing off headlong into an even _more_ dangerous situation. Jaina often scoffed at her friend's insistence on procedure, but, to Jacen, Tenel Ka was a calm voice in a sea of anarchy; someone he could tether himself to when the rest of his life was going to hell. Finishing the preflight checks, it occurred to him just how _well_ they worked together.

"Would you like to take it out?" Tenel Ka asked, her voice hopeful. It was dumb to hope that he had the same fondness for the _Dragon_, but she had seen the look on his face when he had seen her ship for the first time in years.

He offered her a sad smile, "That wouldn't be proper. I have not yet earned the right to fly your ship."

She nodded once as she started the 'Engine Start' checklist. As they finished the checks prior to lighting the big engines, she admitted quietly, "I have always thought of the _Dragon_ as…_our_ ship." Jacen whipped his head around in surprise. Tenel Ka was embarrassed at being so sentimental. _It is_ only_ a ship. Just because you're attached to it does not mean everyone else is._

She expected him to say something soothing-from their conversation before, she knew that he would not say anything derogatory, but the understanding smile that she was sure to see would make her feel even more like a fool. To her surprise, he only reached over and gave her artificial hand a squeeze, looking at her intently. "Me too. Ever since Cloud City." He paused when he saw her eyes grow wide. It was then that he gave her a smile, but it was her favorite 'Jacen' smile. "I just assumed it would be too presumptuous to say so."

After they got the engines fired up, all that remained was getting the _Rock Dragon _out of its tight parking spot. Using the cockpit displays to show video from the various cameras on the outside of the ship, Tenel Ka delicately steered her ship out of the space. She noticed how much easier it was to get out of the spot with Jacen giving her a running update on the position of all the obstacles. Once clear of their parking spot, she started a slow climb to get the _Rock Dragon_ into orbit.

Looking down at the center console, Jacen pulled up the 'Enter Course' screen on his navicomputer as she established the _Dragon _in a low orbit. "Okay, so where are we headed?" He had meant it to be rhetorical and was already entering the coordinates for Dathomir into the destination block.

"Lorrd." She replied, moving the throttles back to maintain the proper orbital velocity. Tenel Ka saw him freeze at the computer and for a long moment, all that could be heard was the hum of the engines. "Jacen?"

Jolted from his thoughts, he replied softly, "Entering the data now."

She continued to gaze at the back of his head. Perhaps now was not the best time to make him confront all of his demons. "We can go at a later date."

He slowly shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "No. I'll just find reasons to avoid going. I need to go now." Running his right hand uncharacteristically through his hair, he raised his head slightly to risk a glance at her. "Do you have her effects?"

Tenel Ka nodded. "Danni travelled to Lorrd earlier."

_(_)_

A/N: The vornskr scene was based on my understanding of wildlife behavior. Lions, bears, zebras, etc, all will see a tent as a permanent structure and will not attempt to rip through or knock down a tent, even though they could; in their eyes, a tent is just as solid as a house. Besides, it let Jacen play 'brave boyfriend'!

The next chapter, my 'bridge' to the true beginning of this story, will have Danni going to Lorrd to investigate Nelani's disappearance. Thanks again for reading my silly little story!


	6. Chapter 6--Dreaming While We Sleep

**Chapter 6—Dreaming while we sleep**

A/N: I had planned the 'bridge' chapter to be longer, but it seemed to flow better as a shorter work. The rest of Danni's trip to Lorrd and beyond will be told later in this section. I'll post this one and then another longer chapter on Friday, and then I'll have to take a couple of weeks off to get settled back east. Thanks again to all who are reading!

_(_)_

Twenty-one days prior to Colonel Solo's kidnapping...

Danni entered the well-worn leasing office where the Jedi Temple's personnel records had indicated Nelani was renting a flat, closing the door behind her, a small bell jingling its announcement of a visitor. From a smaller office off of the back, a pleasant-looking elderly man with a large bushy mustache came up to the desk, clearly sizing up the blonde woman through his thick glasses, his dark green eyes perplexed by her appearance; apparently, moderately well-dressed women in their mid-thirties did not fit the usual clientele at his complex. Clearing his throat, "Can I help you, Miss...?" His voice was gravelly, probably from years of smoking, but Danni noticed his warm eyes and friendly demeanor.

Smiling politely at the apartment manager, "...Quee." Danni supplied, shaking his hand as she did so, "I hope so. I'm here from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant..." inwardly, Danni grimaced; she was not _technically_ lying, she _did_ come here from Jedi Temple...just not _directly_. "...and we haven't heard from Ms. Dinn in quite a while." She did not have to fake the concern in her voice, "Have you seen Nelani?"

The old man said nothing as he regarded her skeptically for a moment or two. You do not run an apartment complex successfully without being able to discern when people are just blowing smoke at you. "I'll need to see some ID first."

Danni chuckled politely as she rolled her eyes, "You know, you'd think we'd carry some," she lied calmly; her new identification listed her as a Jedi 'Associate', whatever that meant, and she got the feeling the elderly gentleman would start asking uncomfortable questions about her status. Seeing the man's eyes narrow, she quickly continued, "How about..." Focusing her concentration on a glass paperweight, she narrowed her eyes and caused it to levitate shakily off of the horribly bright orange countertop.

After a few seconds, she lowered the paperweight back to the counter. Shaking his head, the white-haired gentlemen could not keep the awe from his voice, "Never gets old, seeing y'all do that." He paused, giving Danni a sly look, "Nelani's better at it, though."

The blonde nodded good-naturedly, "That's why she's out here in the field and I'm doing admin duties."

His eyes twinkling in humor, the manager nodded once before he looked over at the paperweight thoughtfully, "I'm sorry Miss Quee, I haven't seen Nelani in a while...truth be told, I was starting to get a little worried." Clearly concerned, "She's never been gone this long. You don't suppose..." he trailed off, afraid of voicing his fear. Looking down at his feet, "Nelani's a delightful young woman, reminds me of my granddaughter; quiet, friendly, willing to help the other tenants, always..." The old man trailed off again, lost in his own thoughts

Danni saw his puzzled expression, and prompted gently, "...Always...?"

This startled the mustached gentleman, and he looked at Danni confusedly, "I was going to say that she was always on time with her rent. Usually, she pays in advance if she knows that she'll be gone a while..." He shook his head and walked back to his office, returning with a ledger. Thumbing through the pages until he found the right one, "It says here that she her last rent payment was two months ago."

Sensing his anxiety about his young tenant, Danni squeezed his hand warmly, "I'm sure she's all right; we Jedi get ourselves into weird situations all the time." Inside, her heart fell at the lie; something was desperately wrong.

The old man had heard plenty of half-truths and outright lies in his fifty years owning an apartment complex, and he recognized Danni's comment for the lie that it was. After all, if the blonde woman was not worried about Nelani's whereabouts, why was she way out here on Lorrd? Finally, Danni caved in to the pressure of his stern gaze. "May I take a look at her place? Perhaps she left a clue as to where she'd gone."

Wrinkling his brow, he answered despondently, "Good as a place to start as any, I suppose." With a sigh, he dug a small key from his pants pocket and used it to unlock a drawer behind the counter, pulling out what Danni assumed to be the master key. "Follow me."

The faux Jedi nodded once as she followed the gentlemen out the back door of his office and across a small courtyard where a mother and her two kids were busy playing in a small pool. The younger of the two, a cute raven-haired boy with bright green eyes and unruly hair, stared intently at Danni as she passed, smiling when she waved at him. As she followed the elderly gentlemen up the three flights of stairs at the back corner of the courtyard up to Nelani's floor, Danni let her gaze take in the whole of the complex and took notice that even though it was a rather old apartment building, it was still very well maintained and her estimation of the old man increased slightly; clearly, he was proud of his building. "Here we are."

The man's gravelly voice shook her out of her reverie as he unlocked the door to Nelani's apartment. "Ladies first." Danni allowed a polite smile at his show of chivalry entered through the open door, whistling appreciatively as her eyes adjusted to the darker room. While not particularly elaborate, Nelani's apartment was much larger than she had expected; shaped in a large sideways 'U', the entryway was a warm earth-tone tile opening into a large living room with thick Berber carpet. At the junction of the 'U', a large pass through was cut into the wall allowing a person in the kitchen to converse with visitors still in the living room. From behind her, the apartment owner sounded embarrassed, "Like I said, she reminds me of my granddaughter. When she came in to rent a place, I wanted to make sure that she had some peace and quiet." His voice dropped a bit, "Besides, it's safer on the top floor."

Smiling warmly at his grandfatherly concern for his tenant, Danni wandered around the living room and kitchen hoping to find some sort of clue as to where the young Jedi might have gone but found nothing. Something about Nelani's apartment seemed _off_; as if the walls themselves knew that something had happened to its occupant. As she wandered around the apartment, Danni briefly considered trying to use Jacen's flow-walk technique but ruled it out-there did not seem anywhere to be able to observe the past without being visible in Nelani's open apartment; nor did Danni feel like explaining to the landlord what she was doing.

For a couple of minutes, the old man simply watched as Danni concentrated with the Force, trying in vain to find _something_. Clearing his throat to get her attention, he looked at her ashamedly, "This is gonna sound awfully 'businessman' like, but..."

Danni held up her hand, understanding what he was trying to say, "It's okay. You mentioned that she owed for the last two months?" He nodded once. "I'll pay for the next two as well, just to keep her place for a bit longer. Is that okay?" The old man nodded again. Danni took a closer look at the apartment, noticing the furnishings for the first time. While they were _nice_, they were not something that a twenty-something young woman would have picked out. Narrowing her eyes, she looked again at the elderly man, "Did she rent the furniture as well?"

Shaking his head, he answered warmly, "Nah. She mentioned that she was going to buy some furniture, but I told her she could have my son's stuff. He had just moved in with his new girlfriend and no longer wanted it."

Danni snorted at his generosity. "Fair enough. Do you have a few boxes about? I'd like to pack her stuff up for storage. I hope that this proves to be just a big mix up. But..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish.

The old man looked at her with his kind green eyes and nodded sadly, "I've got a few down in the office."

The blonde watched him leave through the door and proceeded through the kitchen to Nelani's bedroom and opened the closet door. With a sad sigh, Danni realized that she probably was not going to need as many boxes as she originally thought; Nelani did not seem to have very much in the way of possessions. Grabbing a handful of hangers holding several of the required drab Jedi robes and a few brighter dresses for social occasions, Danni turned to place the clothes on the bed behind her and screamed in surprise, dropping the two handfuls of clothes.

Standing against the opposite wall was a young woman with shoulder-length dark hair and sad blue eyes. Well, they might be blue, they might not; it was tough to tell seeing as _all _of the young woman was of a blue tint. For a long moment the two women stared warily at each other, clearly deciding what to make of the other. As Danni bent down to pick up the clothes she had dropped, she made an educated guess, "I am assuming that you are Nelani?" The young woman said nothing, but nodded as a sad smile formed on her lips. With the other woman's nod, Danni's felt her heart sink and she let out a long sigh; she had been bracing herself for this reality for the last couple of weeks, but a large portion of her heart still clung idly to the hope that her quest would end with Nelani and Jacen laughing at her about this being a huge misunderstanding over a beer in some corner bar somewhere. Now that Nelani was 'standing' in front of her, there was no question Jacen had done something awful; could she stop him before he did more awful things? Smiling weakly at Nelani, "I had hoped I wasn't too late." Again, the dark-haired woman said nothing as she gave a noncommittal shrug.

Danni scowled slightly, this was going to be a strange conversation if the ghost decided not to talk. "Can you talk?" Nelani shook her head. Danni fought the urge to roll her eyes, _Great. I've never been good at charades. _"I don't know if you've heard of me-I'm Danni Quee." Nelani's ghost frowned, considering this new information for a moment; before finally miming holding a spyglass to her right eye as she looked skyward. Danni chuckled humorlessly as she shook her head, "Yep, that's me." Not knowing what else to say, Danni found herself explaining why she was in the woman's apartment. "I had a vision about you and Jacen a few weeks back..."

_(_)_

Fifty days before Jacen's kidnapping...

"I'm sorry, Nelani."

The first scream, a blood-curdling scream caused by great physical pain, caused her heart to race; but it was the second one, a _mental_ scream, a scream filled with emotional anguish that caused her to jerk up in bed, her green eyes bright with tears.

Trying to still her breathing and calm herself down, Danni Quee glanced around her room; the clock read 02:32 and her bed was all disheveled, with the bedspread somehow against the wall locker about a meter from the bed. Realizing that she was still breathing heavily, and that she was covered in a cold sweat, she got up to get a drink of water from the 'fresher. As she filled her glass, she noticed the haunted look in her green eyes and the way her blonde hair had frizzed out and both only increased her anxiety. As she stared at her frazzled reflection, she failed to notice that her hands were shaking and she ended up spilling half of her glass down her front as she took a drink. "Kriff." She took a deep breath to steady herself, "Get a grip, it was only a dream." _But, you've had this dream four times in the last two weeks. _ _And, this time the man talked. Who _is_ Nelani? _As her pulse-rate calmed down and she made her way back across the room to the mess of a bed, it dawned on her that it was much more than a dream.

_I haven't had a Force vision since…_She refused to think further about that day. _What _is_ the Force trying to tell me?_ Realizing that she wasn't going to get any more sleep this evening, she threw on her robe and made her out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen to make something that Master Skywalker had introduced her to a lifetime ago: hot chocolate.

Later, standing on the shared balcony that overlooked the forest, she took a breath and replayed the vision in her mind. Two people: a man that seemed strangely familiar, and a younger woman were dueling with lightsabers. Sensing their tenacity and desperation, it was obvious that this wasn't a training duel- someone was either going to surrender or die. "That can't be right..." Danni murmured to herself, "...there hasn't been an actual lightsaber battle in, what, 10 years? Who ARE these people?" Banishing that thought for the moment, she concentrated again on the battle. It soon became clear that the man simply had more talent, and they both knew it. The woman battling him became even more frantic in her moves to try to force a draw. Maybe that was the cause of her undoing; she was fighting for an impasse, he was not. As the duel progressed to its forgone conclusion, with the woman's strikes and parries becoming increasingly desperate, the man got the opening he needed and struck the young woman down. Even knowing that it was coming, hearing the woman's scream again brought her to the verge of tears. But again, it was the second silent scream, the one full of anguish and despair that caused her to break down, not just because of the death of the young woman, but because she knew now who that strangely familiar man had to be. Only one Jedi she had ever met, and she had met plenty in the last war, felt that sort of despair when killing a fellow being. Only one felt such extreme guilt at being a warrior: _Jacen._ "Why? Who were you fighting? _Why_ were you fighting?" she mumbled, as a tear rolled down her face. "The war is _over_, Jacen." Suddenly, the scene shifted. _This is new_. She was looking at the galaxy from afar. In the center of the galaxy, she saw a spark; one that looked like a match had just been struck. Slowly at first, the galaxy started to burn. As the flames burned higher, consuming the galaxy, she heard another scream, "NOOOOOooo!" With a start, she realized that it was her own voice.

Still shaken, and finding the need to talk to someone about what she had seen, she turned to go into the complex, only to find herself face to face with a perky, elderly woman with graying hair and kind blue eyes: her mother-except that her mother had been dead for six years.

"There you are my child. I sense much disquiet coming from you."

"You really have a knack for sneaking up on people, Sekot." Danni said drily, not wishing to discuss her vision with a self-aware planet.

Sekot walked up to the balcony railing, "Consider it a gift. Come, what brings you out to this balcony at 2:55 in the morning?"

Turning back around to once again look over the forest, and seeing the folly of trying to hide the truth from a sentient being that has her own gravity, Danni sighed. _Maybe a partial truth. _"I had a nightmare…."

"Let us not pretend you are out here drinking hot chocolate because of some dream. You were on your way to find Mikal. What was the nature of this_ vision_?" Sekot asked pointedly.

Sighing deeper this time, Danni conceded the point. "Alright, call it a vision. I saw two Jedi, a man and a woman, dueling. Not sparring, dueling." She proceeded to recite the entire vision to Sekot.

"Interesting. What preceded this clash?"

Danni shrugged, "I don't know; I only got the fight itself."

"This Nelani, did you recognize her?"

"No."

"The young man, you know who it is." It was not a question.

"Yes."

"Curious that the Force would show this to you." Danni's mother cast her an appraising glance, "You still think of him." Again, it was not a question.

The blonde woman sighed, not really wanting to admit the truth. It had been years since she had seen him, after all. "Yes." She admitted, not even bothering to hide her chagrined frown. _Am I really that easy to read?_

"No, your thoughts are probably the hardest here to read. I've just had lots of experience." Sekot said, with a slight smile. "However, you've been here a long time and you must be lonely, especially after Tahiri left."

"I've been lonely since my mother died." Danni said sadly, looking over at her mother's form, "But back to this vision. Is it something that has happened, or something that is yet to come?"

Sekot frowned slightly, "Both, I suspect. The first part, I think, is from a Force connection. From what I have heard, Jacen Solo is removing himself from everyone that is close to him in the Force." Danni knew better than to ask about how Sekot knew what Jacen Solo was up to. "He seems to have forgotten about your connection." This came as a blow. Even though she had known for years that Jacen had moved on, she still held out hope that she had meant _something_ to him; Sekot's telling her that this wasn't the likely the case caused her heart to sink and she tried to keep the hurt from showing on her face. The self-aware planet continued, "Apparently, he remains troubled by what happened. The second part, I think, is the Force telling you of one possible outcome of the duel." She glanced over at Danni, and her eyes softened. "I am sorry dear, I did not mean to be so blunt. Maybe we should continue this conversation at a more respectable hour."

Frowning slightly, "No, no, the fault is mine. I should have caught on when he returned from his journeys and failed to stop here that he has moved on with his life."

"I fear it is more complicated than that." Sekot said sadly, looking over at Danni. "But you will find out soon enough."

"Soon enough? Do you see Jacen coming here?" Danni asked in a rushed voice. She had so many things that she wanted to tell him about her discoveries here on Zonoma Sekot, about herself. Mostly she wanted to be close to him again and lose herself once more in those lovely brown eyes of his.

"My dear, you know that he is not." Sekot said, noting the look of disappointment on the young woman's face. "_You_ are going to find Jacen Solo."

Knowing that would still be pointless to protest, Danni just nodded slowly. Truthfully, she had already come to that same conclusion. "I had best go and get packed." With that, the scientist turned and walked to the patio door.

"One more thing, Danni." Sekot said in a hushed tone, waiting for her to stop.

Danni turned, only to see Vergere standing before her. With a haunted look, Vergere whispered, "Be careful, Danni. Everything Jacen tells you is a lie."

With a tear forming in the corner of her right eye, Danni nodded once, staring at Jacen's one-time captor, friend and mentor. As she slowly turned back to the door, "You taught him well, then."

_(_)_

A/N: And so begins section two of this silly little story. In case you're wondering: Yes, I patterned the apartment manager after the 'Kindly Man' Arya Stark works for in the 'House of Black and White' on Braavos. (Yes, I'm a _Game of Thrones_ nerd.) If you haven't yet, and if you like moral ambiguity in your storyline, (if you're reading a Jacen story I'm guessing you do), give Martin's series a read. (The show is good, but it skips a_ lot_) Almost _all _of his characters are fantastically grey, and nothing is ever as it seems.

Thanks again for reading and I appreciate any and all reviews!


	7. Chapter 7--Behind Grey Eyes

**Chapter 7: Behind Grey Eyes**

A/N: Once again, Gadell Vessau, and the back story of how he and Tenel Ka became friends, belongs to Hexterah and I owe her a huge thanks for letting me use her character. This chapter will deviate a bit from the 'official' SW histories, but I did it for the sake of adding depth to the Hapan Consortium; we still don't know much at all about Hapan politics, and I find that unacceptable.

_  
o o (_) o o

Fifty days prior to Colonel Solo's kidnapping...

Early morning was Commander Gadell Vessau's favorite time of day. Not because he was morning person because, truth be told-he wasn't, and it wasn't because the early morning hours were _quiet, _although that helped. Since taking over the job as head of Palace Security, most of his workdays were spent dealing with administrative 'emergencies'. Compounding this problem was the fact that his title had little due to with his actual duties. He was also the Chief of Consortium Intelligence-a job that did not exist, at least not officially.

After she assumed the throne as Queen Mother, Tenel Ka's goal was to make Hapes less _removed_ from the galaxy as a whole. She had no desire to become part again of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances; she saw the Alliance as too unwieldy, too shortsighted, and too uncertain-plus the new name for the Alliance was just too..._awkward_. No, Tenel Ka thought it best for the Consortium to remain independent. However, the Queen Mother wanted to expand Hapes' influence-hence, Gadell's 'off-the-record' real job. Tenel Ka Chume Ta' Djo would continue her mother's legacy…

_  
o o (_) o o

Teneniel learned an awful truth when she assumed the throne: Ta'a Chume had been lying to the Hapan public. Not a horrible lie, as lies go, but a lie nonetheless. Ta'a Chume maintained that it was the Hapan Navy that had kept the Empire at bay; that Palpatine was _afraid_ of their Battle Dragons. To be sure, the Home Fleet was, and is, a formidable force; but the fact remained that the Imperial Navy, at the height of its power, would have had little trouble wiping out the Hapan fleet. No, the reason that Palpatine did not subjugate the Consortium as he had almost everyone else was that Hapes had _nothing_ to offer him. After his deformities set upon him by Mace Windu, he had no use for beautiful women and he already had access to vast sums of money: the two things for which Hapes was renown. In his mind, the Hapes Consortium was just a bunch of vain, old bitties complaining over tea. In order to keep up appearances, he offered Ta'a Chume terms in which the Empire would remain clear of Hapan Space in exchange for 'hush money'. In turn, Ta'a Chume was allowed to maintain that the Empire was actually _leery_ of the Hapan Fleet. Because of this lie, the Hapan Consortium had become a self-important bunch of _nobodies_. No one gave Hapes much thought; and if they did, it was only to mock them. To the new Queen Mother, this was unfathomable; Hapans sat on mountains of money and they did _nothing_ with it.

For the entirety of her rein, Teneniel spent most of her time starting programs to ensure the Hapes Consortium actually did _matter_ to the rest of the galaxy. When Teneniel assumed the throne, she convinced Isolder that just because the Consortium was incredibly _rich_, it did not mean the system was _wealthy._ Teneniel understood that money was only worth something if you _spent_ it. Even though she had never taken an Economics class, Teneniel grasped one of the fundamental truths of business: it _takes_ money to _make_ money. With this in mind, she started to reform the Consortium's universities. For over a millennium, Hapan women had been envied for their beauty; Teneniel wanted them to be envied for their intellect as well. The new Queen Mother launched a program to make Hapan universities _the_ premier schools in the galaxy in two fields: engineering, especially the fields of electrical, aeronautical, and propulsion engineering; and medicine, a field that much of the galaxy had left to droids. Ta'a Chume scoffed at the idea of only targeting two areas, "One dreams big, or one doesn't dream at all," she had caustically said to her son. Teneniel, not being as shortsighted as her predecessor, was undeterred. The new Queen Mother knew that in order to have an outstanding engineering program, a university also has to have excellent mathematics and computer science programs; to have an exceptional medical school, a university also needed great chemistry and biology programs. Her 'two' programs suddenly became six. She told Isolder to hire the brightest professors he could find, and gave them carte blanche to spend whatever necessary to ensure that their students would be the best anywhere.

Before long, Hapes' engineering schools were producing more graduates than the established shipbuilders could absorb, even with Teneniel's rebuilding of the Hapan Navy. Some of these young women started working for the esteemed Kuat Drive Yards, Incom, and the shipyards of Mon Calamari. Not satisfied with some of the more 'pedestrian' offerings in the personal spacecraft market, some of the more entrepreneurial graduates even started their own firms. These young women designed and built 'yachts' that would outperform just about everything else out there, and look stunning doing it. Indeed, in the intervening two decades, Hapan-built yachts have become the most sought after in the galaxy.

Hapes, of course, is Hapes and it still holds that vanity reigns supreme. Because of this, plastic surgery remains the hardest rotation to get accepted into as a medical intern, a fact that so horrified Teneniel that she considered putting out a moratorium and not allow any new interns into plastic surgery for five years. Doctors using their much-needed skills for _beauty?_ It made her stomach roil and she could hear her mother-in-law's laughter from across the palace. Before she could enact her hiring freeze, however, the galaxy found itself embroiled in a war against the Yuuzhan Vong. Suddenly, the same specialty that enraged the Queen Mother became the one that she came to admire the most. Tens of thousands of military troops, many with horribly deforming burns, terrible scars, or even missing limbs were made as whole as possible because of the talent and dedication of Hapan plastic surgeons. As a point of pride, none of the surgeons accepted payment from the Alliance for these operations, and the Crown covered the cost of the hospital stay. One noted surgeon was quoted in the press: "I've made a fortune giving women new boobs. But to see a young soldier regain the use of her hand, be able to walk again, or simply be able to look at herself with pride in the mirror again…this I do for free."

With these starting points, Teneniel helped to make the Consortium _wealthy._ Tenel Ka would continue these programs, of course, and she saw an excellent opportunity to increase the amount of _men_ in Happen universities, something almost unheard of in her Grandmother's day. However, Tenel Ka also wanted to expand the Consortium's political influence. Knowing that 'knowledge is power', Tenel Ka's first order of business was to re-start the Consortium's Intelligence Service. Hapes' civilian intelligence agency had been disbanded generations ago and they were forced to cobble one together during the Vong war, but she needed something more _manageable._ When she had first approached Gadell with the idea of starting an organized intelligence service, he was skeptical that the Hapans themselves would stop conniving against each other long enough to actually gather any useful, actionable, intelligence. Tenel Ka had persisted, "Hapan's love intrigue more than life itself. All we have to do is convince them to focus those talents _away_ from the Consortium."

Using pretty much _all_ of her political capital that she had at the time, and knowing that her monarchy would most likely collapse if her idea failed, Tenel Ka finagled the Ruling Council to give her a Five-Year Charter to start a program called 'Her Majesty's Commerce Attaches'. Forty young women selected from an applicant pool of around two hundred made up the first class of 'Attaches'; most of whom were not technically 'volunteers', they were simply strong-armed into applying by their mothers, who saw the program as a way to gain favor with the Crown on the off-chance that the program actually succeeded.

Having 'borrowed' the idea from Talon Karrde, she modeled her new program off of his organization. In much the same way that Karrde used his vast organization of businesses to further his intelligence brokering; her 'Attaches' would be accountants, engineers, doctors, computer analysts; all of whom would go work for legitimate business abroad and, on the side, gather information to pass back to Hapes. Just as Karrde considered himself a mere information broker, Tenel Ka also planned to share this acquired data with all pertinent parties. However, she saw several shortcomings to Karrde's organization. Firstly, whereas his organization was a _business_ first and an intelligence service only as a side benefit, the 'Attaches' business _was_ intelligence. The biggest advantage, however, was one of resources. As vast as Karrde's organization is, it still pales in comparison to the amount of time and money that the Hapes Consortium can bring to bear. Furthermore, Karrde can only pass on information and hope that other act upon it; Hapes has the advantage of having a large, modern navy and can add extra pressure to worlds with more than just words: there is something to be said for 'gun-boat diplomacy', after all.

The initial portion of training consisted of six weeks of intense physical training, including hand-to-hand combat lessons, some of it given by the Queen Mother herself. Also, they received training with sophisticated communication equipment and the procedures to follow to destroy the encryption codes in case they were in danger of being compromised. Not wanting to re-invent the wheel, and not having time to properly set up a training course, all the 'Attaches' were then sent to Karrde's organization where they would learn the fine art of 'hiding in plain sight' from Shada D'ukal. Tenel Ka did not worry about teaching her 'students' what to look for; she understood that the women of Hapes took to intrigue like a fish to water. The trick was to not _look_ like you were looking for something.

When their training was completed, Tenel Ka addressed this first class of forty young women at a private ceremony in the Palace Ballroom:

_  
o o (_) o o

"Ladies, after today your life will not be the same. When you leave here, you will _not_ have the normal life that your friends and family enjoy. After today, most people, most governments, will view you as spies. I say this not to frighten you, but to impress upon you the seriousness of the mission that I send you on."

"It will not matter to them that for the majority of your assignments you will be performing legitimate work on behalf of legitimate businesses. If anyone were to find out that you report to me, you _will_ be viewed as a spy. Rest assured, I will do _everything_ in my power to protect each and every one of you."

"In many regards, your life will become like mine-you will not be able to confide fully in anyone, even those closest to you. You will see dangers, both real and imagined at every turn. You will be forced to keep secrets from your own family. They will not understand the pressures that your new posting will entail. But believe this: _I_ understand. I live the same life."

"Your families have been keeping a dangerous secret from you: They _expect_ you to fail. They expect you to fail because they expect _me_ to fail. Look at me; here I stand, younger than all of you, trying to be Queen. Here I stand with my half-arm, trying to be whole. Here I stand as a Jedi, trying to be Hapan. I am such a pathetic excuse for a Queen, that my own _Grandmother_ expects my reign to be short."

"The Ruling Council has an even more destructive secret: They _want_ you to fail. They _need_ you to fail because they want _me _to fail. They tolerated my mother; they will not tolerate this half-breed, _disfigured_ Jedi. They want Hapes to remain as it is: a rich consortium that the galaxy largely scoffs at. However, _I_ know what they do not: _We_ can be better!"

"With you acting as my eyes, we can make Hapes great. Through your eyes, we can see what needs to be changed. We can make this Consortium the envy of the galaxy, not merely because we are rich, but because we _know._ We will wield influence because we have _seen_."

"Sisters, I have placed my future in your hands. However, I am not afraid. Let them _see_ what the smart, tough, independent women of Hapes can do."

_  
o o (_) o o

Somewhere in the public reception that followed, one of the new Attaches started telling her family that she, and all of the others, had become "The Queen's Eyes." Somebody then jested, "Well, your uniforms are the wrong color, then. (They were all wearing dark blue uniforms) The Queen's eyes are grey." And so, 'Her Majesty's Commerce Attaches' unofficially became known as the 'Grey Eyes' (Complete with grey uniforms, of course).

Like any other new venture, the early results from the program were a tad disappointing. However, as the 'Eyes' became more experienced, the quality of their reporting increased. With time, information gained from these young women had been passed to local planetary authorities and used to break up a large organized-crime cartels, sentient-being trafficking cases, even an assassination plot against a Kuati parliamentarian. Perhaps most surprising was evidence that the Mon Calamari Shipyards had been over-charging the Alliance for dry-dock maintenance. When the Mon Cal government tried to brush the information under the rug, Tenel Ka herself got involved, threatening to leak to the press the information and ruining the reputation of their most important industry. As it stands, the Bothans still get the bulk of notoriety for espionage, but it is 'Her Majesty's Commerce Attaches' who do the heavy lifting.

Perhaps most remarkable was attitude of the 'Eyes' themselves. Almost to an individual, they told their friends and family that being an 'Eye' was the best job anywhere. They got to do interesting work, for interesting companies, in interesting places, were _encouraged_ to spy and to plot, and Her Majesty _paid_ them to do it! In turn, Tenel Ka has become very attached to her 'Eyes'; she makes it a point to attend all of their weddings, send gifts when they have children, and, on a few sad occasions, attend funerals. In the ten years since it has started, getting a job with 'Her Majesty's Commerce Attaches' has become _the _most desired job in the system. What was once forced upon youngest daughters who had no other future, now accepts only the brightest women, and men, from Hapan universities.

_  
o o (_) o o

Smiling at his recollection of his first days in office, Gadell perused the intelligence reports that had been generated overnight, his smile fading when he read one of the reports from Coruscant. _Interesting._ Placing that report to the side, he went through the rest of briefs, separating out a couple others that he deemed pertinent to Her Majesty, and left his office. As he approached the main door to the Royal Apartment, he smiled at the Sergeant who has sitting at her desk. Rising, she gave Gadell a curt nod, Go on in Commander; Her Majesty just returned from her morning run."

The Chief of Security nodded his thanks and entered through the heavy mahogany door. Once inside the royal apartment, he noticed several luggage cases on his left, against the wall and frowned, trying to remember Her Majesty's schedule. _Right, she leaves today for the annual meeting of Governors._ The Queen Mother hosted an annual retreat for all of the governors of the sixty-three worlds of the Consortium, it was a way for all of them to get together without the trappings of office and informally discuss matters affecting the cluster.

Tenel Ka was sitting out on the veranda reading one of her morning reports and drinking a caf, her back to him, still in her running apparel. As he made his way to the outside door, a smile crossed his face. _This _is why mornings were his favorite time of day. He got to see his queen as she was: no formality, no pretense, just he and her.

Gadell had known her since he was eight and she six. His mother was an up-and-coming Lieutenant Commander in the Hapan Navy (she would eventually become a Rear Admiral) and had been assigned to the Palace as the Military Liaison when Teneniel was Queen Mother. Teneniel had taken a liking to him, and let him come to the Palace after school. Tenel Ka helped him do his homework, and he gave her someone to run around with in the gardens. After four years, his mother's assignment was up and she had to transfer back to fleet duty, so Gadell moved in with his Grandmother. (In true Hapan fashion, his mother had no idea where his father was) Teneniel wanted her daughter to have at least _one_ friend and he was allowed to continue coming to the Palace after class. When it became time for both of them to leave the Palace, her to attend the Jedi Academy and he to follow in his mother's footsteps at the Naval Academy, he had assumed that his crush on his red-haired friend would disappear. It wasn't until she assumed the throne and asked him to work for her as Chief of Palace Security that he realized that his 'crush' had turned into something else entirely. He could never admit it to anyone, of course, but he _loved_ his friend. He knew that she did not, and would not, love him in return, but that did not matter to Gadell-Tenel Ka_ liked_ him, he was one of the few people that she trusted implicitly, and he would content himself with that. As Chief of Palace Security, he got to see her every day; and see her as she was, not as she was expected to be. He had done his Navy career no favors by remaining in his current post for so long, and he would never advance past his rank of Commander, but he was past caring.

"Good morning, Tenna." He called as he made his way through the door to the veranda, using the nickname that he had given her on a lark not too long after she had assumed the Crown.

Tenel Ka glanced up from her report and gave him a slight smile. Gadell was one of only three people that she allowed to call her by anything other than her name or title. She gestured at the assortment of pastries on the table, indicating that he should join her. "Good morning. What is the news from the 'overnights'?"

Gadell sighed inwardly as he grabbed a chocolate croissant and poured a cup of caf: Tenel Ka was never one for idle chitchat. Sitting to her left at the corner of the table, "The Chiss and the Imperial Remnant have started preparations for their bi-annual joint-fleet exercises. This year, it will be near Csilla."

She nodded and looked over at him, picking up on his slightly expectant tone. "You think that we should ask to take part?" This was part of their plan, after all; their plan to become an integral part of the post-Vong galaxy.

The Naval Commander gave her a small smile as he finished his bite of croissant. "I do. It's probably too late for this year, but I think that we should make overtures to Csilla and Bastion to be included in two years." He paused to take a sip of caf, "We have only had exercises amongst our own services, and it would be good to see how we stack up against someone like the Remnant."

Again, she nodded and made a note on her data pad with a satisfied look on her face. "I agree. I will take this up with Lieutenant Commander Roeder later this morning." Referring to her daily briefing with the current Hapan Military Liaison. She paused, making another note, "I'll also schedule a meeting with Minister Xana'a and Ambassador…." She grimaced and looked to Gadell for help.

He chuckled. "Thule. Artemis Thule." Mr. Thule was the Imperial Remnant's Ambassador to the Hapes Consortium, Erinae Xana'a was one of the last members to remain from Teneniel's Cabinet; she had been the Minister of External Affairs for as long as Gadell could remember.

Taking a bite of her breakfast sandwich, the red-haired queen shrugged, as if to say, 'I cannot remember _everyone_.' Somehow, Gadell doubted that he would have to remind her of the Remnant Ambassador's name next time. As she wiped the corner of her mouth, she looked pointedly at her Security Chief, "All right, what is the bad news?"

Vessau grimaced, handing her another briefing sheet. _She won't like this. _"Apparently, the GAG is rounding up all of the Corellians that are currently living on Coruscant; ostensibly for their safety." He saw her lovely face cloud over as she read the report. Softly, he asked, "What's he playing at, Tenna?"

She snapped her head around and gave Gadell an icy glare. "He is trying to ensure the safety all Alliance citizens." He could see the turmoil in her steel-grey eyes. Raising an eyebrow, he kept his eyes on hers. After a few moments, she turned her head and looked down at her lap, murmuring, more to herself than to him, "I…I do not know. We rarely _talk_ anymore. Not like we used to."

She fell quiet again and continued to stare into her lap. "I am losing him to someone and I do not know what to do about it." The red-haired queen looked up and stared off into the distance. "I can _feel_ him sliding away and I keep telling myself that I will confront him when I see him." Tenel Ka paused a long moment before continuing. "But, when he visits my brain shuts down; I see the pain written on his soul and all I want to do is soothe his anguish."

Tenel Ka glanced at her friend, "He has been my anchor for ages." Gesturing to her left arm, "When he came here to the Palace after our 'incident', I realized that Jacen would _always_ be there for me." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Part of me died at Myrkr, and I was adrift for a long time." Gadell only nodded, he remembered all to well the shell of a person that Tenel Ka had become after her return from that mission. Her eyes again returned to the gardens, as she was once again lost in her memories.

Quietly, she continued, "He _never_ gave up on me. Jacen Solo knew about the caring girl underneath my 'ice-princess' exterior, even when most did not." Taking a deep breath to regain control, "I used to hide all of my emotions, and everyone ridiculed me for it." She again looked over at her friend, "He used to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and everyone derided him for it-no wonder we became friends." Tenel Ka smiled slightly, "Jacen taught me how to be more open, and I love him for it." Her smile disappeared, "Unfortunately, I taught him how to hide, and I hate myself for doing that."

The queen didn't know why she was telling her Security Chief any of this; he must have much more important things to do other than listen to his boss babble on like a lovesick teenager. She glanced at Gadell, who was continuing to look at her, concern on his face. Encouraged, she continued softly, "I am so afraid of starting a fight, that I do not say much of anything when he is here. I used to tell him _everything_; now I tell him _nothing_." Her voice was now devoid of any emotion, "I cannot _do_ this anymore. I am adrift again, just like after Myrkr—except this is worse. I thought him dead then, now he is just…gone." Her voice fell to a whisper, "I preferred dead." She paused, searching for words. "Allana needs him. _I_ need him. I cannot give up on him."

Gadell's face fell, his heart breaking. His best friend had never confessed the depth of her feelings for Jacen Solo, and it was killing him. He could see the sorrow in his friend's posture. He reached for her hand, "Tenel Ka…"

"Do not." She snapped, louder than she had intended, and jerked her hand away from his. "Do not." She repeated, softer this time. "Just…" _go_. She wanted to say the word, but could not, not to him. It would sound too much like a Royal dismissal, and she would not _dismiss _her friend; it would open a chasm between them, a chasm that neither of them would be able to bridge.

Commander Vessau nodded sadly, fully understanding what she was about to say. Leaving her to her thoughts, he picked up the tray with the remaining croissants and cheeses and made his leave back to his office, dropping off the breakfast tray at the guard station outside the Royal Apartment for the on-duty security detail to have, as he had every morning for the last ten years.

The Queen Mother remained in her chair and watched the sun rise above the trees of the gardens for a few minutes. _What _is_ he playing at? _Sighing, she made her way to her suite to take a shower and change before starting her day in earnest. On the way, her new attendant joined her. A petite girl of fifteen, with sandy-blonde hair, dark brown eyes and a face full of freckles, Corda had just started being the Queen Mother's personal attendant last month. Every year, Tenel Ka selected a teenager from one of the Noble Houses to serve as her attendant as a way of maintaining friendly relations with the remaining nobility. Unfortunately, it also meant that she had to constantly train someone new as to her tastes. At least Corda was punctual. Her last attendant was _always_ fifteen to twenty minutes late. Using her 'all-business' voice, "Corda, please select a pant-suit for today. We are leaving this afternoon for the _Star_ _Home,_ and I want to be comfortable for the flight there."

Dutifully making notes on her datapad as they made their way down the corridor and entered the Master Suite, Corda nodded. "Yes, your Majesty. Anything else?"

Tenel Ka stopped outside her refresher door, "Yes. Clear my lunch schedule; I would like to have something done with my hair. Call…." _What is it with me and names today?_

"Henri?" Corda supplied.

The queen snapped her fingers. "Yes. Have him here at 11:30." She turned to go into the refresher, but stopped and turned back around, she did not mean to be so gruff with her attendant. "Thank you."

Corda looked confused for a second, and then gave her a smile. "Certainly, Your Majesty."

As she was drying herself off after her quick shower, her comlink chirped. Grumbling something about getting five minutes of 'alone' time, she answered.

"Sorry for the interrupting, Queen Mother." It was Gadell, "The _Solo Journey_ is on approach to the city. Should I allow him to land here at the Palace?"

She sighed; too many questions would arise if he were to be seen traveling to the palace by speeder. "Allow him to land here. Send him to my apartment when he arrives."

"As you wish. Vessau out." She could sense the concern in his voice.

Tenel Ka supposed that she should be excited to see Jacen; it had been almost a month since his last visit after all. Frowning, she became lost in her thoughts. _Solo Journey?_ She could not remember the last time Jacen had come to Hapes in his own ship. Usually, he just borrowed one of the Jedi Order's freighters or, more recently, one of the _Lambda_-class shuttles that the GAG owned. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she made her way out of the 'fresher to get ready.

Returning to her bedroom, she nodded appreciatively at the outfit that Corda had laid out; a grey, pinstriped jacket and pants, with a coordinating light blue blouse. Corda picked up on her clothing moods better than her previous attendant, and she never tried to guess at Tenel Ka's taste in shoes, always allowing the Queen Mother to select her own. Corda re-entered the suite, having returned from making the call to the hairdresser. "You are all set for 11:30." Corda announced, kneeling behind Tenel Ka at the vanity. As her attendant proceeded to braid her hair, the Queen Mother applied some light make-up.

After finishing with the cosmetics, she released Corda for the time being, telling her to grab some breakfast from kitchen and asked her to bring up something for Allana. She then proceeded to get dressed, leaving the jacket off for the time being. As she made her way to the living room, she reached out and tried to get a sense for where Jacen was and found…nothing-Jacen's recent habit of hiding in the force concerned her and she made a mental note to talk to him about it. Reaching the end of the hall, she found that Jacen was already in her apartment, looking out the windows to the terrace and gardens beyond, hands clasped behind his back. He turned as he heard her approach, and she looked over his visage with a careful eye: Jacen looked _tired..._chronically tired. He tried to give her his famous smile as he made his way over to her, but only managed a wane smirk. She felt him reach out to her, but even his Force presence seemed fatigued. _Why do you hide?_

_Habit._ Jacen replied, followed by a sigh, _I'll tell you later._

Somehow, she doubted that he would, but she offered him a slight smile as he approached and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Force, I've missed you." He breathed into her ear, keeping the hug short for decorum. The Palace was coming alive, and Jacen knew from experience that her staff barged in unannounced in the mornings. Separating, but still holding her hand, Jacen started their ritual conversation, "Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty. How have you been?"

Tenel Ka merely shrugged. "I have been…well. It has been too long, friend Jacen. Who do I have to talk to so that you can visit more often?"

The GAG Colonel chuckled. "I'll tell Chief Omas to expect your call." He tried for a better smile and nodded over to the luggage stacked against the far wall, "Who's moving in?"

The Queen Mother sighed slightly; she had hoped that her luggage would have been taken to her shuttle by now. _And now the fight begins._ "I am leaving this afternoon for the _Home One_ to attend the annual Conference of Governors. I will be out of the Palace for five days."

Jacen frowned. "Five days? Where does that leave time for us? I _did_ fly all this way to see you." Giving her a small smirk, he continued, "Why don't you postpone this conference for a couple of days."

His smirk was trying to indicate that he said this in jest, but his tone told her that he exptected her to do just that-postpone her trip for him. Appalled by the arrogance of his request, she let her tone frosted over a touch; "This conference has been a tradition for over two hundred years and is organized six months in advance. I _cannot_ postpone." Her voice got dangerously quiet, "Perhaps if you would have commed first, I would have informed you that this week was not a good one for a visit."

Jacen allowed his own voice to become icy; he was not about to be pushed around be the Queen Mother. "I _do_ have other duties, you know. I was merely trying to be spontaneous." His tone became arrogant, "However, if you'd rather spend your time with your knitting circle, be my guest."

Tenel Ka became incense-from her point of view, Jacen's 'spontaneous'-ness seemed to be more like checking in on her. Furthermore, she did not expect him to be so condescending towards what she was trying to accomplish; until recently, he understood all the effort she put in to make Hapes better and his tone almost felt like betrayal. Retorting, almost at a yell, "I have spent a decade pushing for democratic reforms from the planetary ruling councils, and I am finally making real progress. Do not expect me to drop everything for you simply because you feel 'lonely'."

Jacen dropped his gaze. He deserved the rebuke; he _was_ trying to pick a fight, after all. What was wrong with them? He could _hear_ the quotations around her last word. Did she really feel that he only came to see her just for _that_? Being with her was his only refuge in his stormy life. Chagrined, he whispered, "That's not why I come." He peered into her still blazing grey eyes.

Her eyes softened as she quietly admitted, "I know." Tenel Ka opened her mouth to say more, when a red-haired blur came flying around the corner.

Allana was running at top speed, her nightgown billowing behind her, "Jedi Jacen!" she yelled, launching herself into his waiting arms. Jacen picked her up and spun her around a couple of times, eliciting an excited screech and Tenel Ka noticed that his smile was genuine this time.

"Allana! How's my favorite Princess?" Jacen asked, kissing her forehead before he put her back down.

Allana shrugged, mimicking her mother's mannerism, "Fine." Her face grew serious, "Have you come to be my nanny while Mother is at her meeting?"

"I…" Jacen intended to say that he couldn't; that he was going to return to Coruscant just as soon as Tenel Ka left, but the pleading look in Allana's eyes made him change his mind. He could feel her desire to spend time with him, just the two of them. What good would it do to save the galaxy _for_ his daughter, if he could not spend time _with _her? As he smiled at his daughter, he answered lightly, "…I have. But, I can only stay for three days. Is that okay?"

Allana seemed to give it a thought for a second before giving him a big smile. Nodding, she answered, "That is acceptable." Jacen's smile increased at her reply. Allana looked at her mother, "I shall go get dressed!" With that she disappeared down the hall, rushing to her room.

After Allana raced back to her bedroom, Tenel Ka grabbed Jacen's hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Care to escort me to my 'office' before Allana monopolizes the rest of your day?" She asked, with a small sparkle in her eye. Maybe some father-daughter time would be good for him.

"Of course." He replied, picking up on her thoughts.

_  
o o (_) o o

A/N: This will be last update for about ten days; I've got to schlep myself out the east coast for a job transfer. As you've probably noticed, I have no plans to stick with the original LotF timeline, but I am trying to keep this story mostly in the confines of Tempest, but I will expand the timeframe of that book. As you will see later, Han and Leia are still able to return to Coruscant even after their acts of treason; frankly I found their support of the Corellian cause to be _really_ OOC-in a series were everyone is OOC.

Thanks again for reading and I appreciate any and all reviews!


	8. Chapter 8--Destination Unknown

**Chapter 8: Destination Unknown**

A/N: I am going to veer a bit more from profic and establish that Danni and Jacen had a more of a relationship than NJO let us see. They were both single, lonely, and had been through hell-and-gone together; so I don't think it unrealistic that they would have dated for a time towards the end of the war and immediately afterwards: call it author's prerogative.

* * *

Still fifty days prior to Colonel Solo's kidnapping...

It had not taken Danni very long to pack up all of her belongings, the time spent in Ex-Gal and the military had taught her to travel light, and besides, there was little to buy on a self-aware planet. If she were to be honest with herself, she would admit to being a little afraid of leaving her home for the last ten years but, there was little more that she could accomplish on Zonoma. Still unsure about her next course of action, she boarded her ship, a _Lambda_-class shuttle that Jacen Solo had given her before she left for Zonoma Sekot after the war….

O O(_)O O

Jacen had taken her down to the spaceport on their last day together before he had left for his trip. As they stood at the entrance to his ship, one he had only had a couple of months, he looked over at her and gave her a roguish grin, "I want you to have it. The _Lambda_ was always my favorite type of ship as a kid: the way the wings fold and the sound its engines make when hyperspace is engaged always remind me of the hawk-bats on Coruscant." His smile turned rueful. "I know that it's a relic, and I didn't get a chance to finish all of the modifications that it needs, but I'd like you to have it."

Danni did not know what to say, people don't just _give_ ships as goodbye gifts. "I can't take your ship, not knowing what it means to you."

Jacen smiled, and Danni felt her heart skip at the twinkle in his brown eyes. "You will need it far more than me. You will need a ship that is_ yours_ to escape from Zonoma from time to time." Danni gave him a warm smile, suspecting that to be true.

"Anyway, you'll take care of it far better than me. I don't know what kind of repair facilities I'll find on my sojourn, so I will need a ship that isn't quite so..._old_." His smile said that he didn't really think the ship old, and was trying to make it sound like he wasn't really _attached_ to a ship; the fact that they both knew him to be lying made it mean that much more.

"I'll accept; but only if you accompany me on a 'shake-down' cruise." She said quietly, winking as she did.

Jacen was sometimes slow when it came to girls, but he wasn't _that_ slow. "Deal." He replied, his grin becoming bigger as he took her arm and accompanied her up the ramp. Sometime during that flight, the two of them had come up with the name for her new ship: the _Belkadan Survivor_.

O O(_)O O

Danni sat in the cockpit of her ship, trying to decide where to start. She wanted to find out more about Nelani, as she did not want to confront Jacen about the crime of murder without more solid evidence than just a series of dreams. The Jedi Council had deemed her _worthy_ enough to allow her remote access to the Jedi Archives, even though they did not think her _acceptable_ as a Jedi. Unfortunately, that access did not include their personnel records. Sighing, she knew what her next destination was and keyed it into the navicomputer: Coruscant.

O O(_)O O

Forty-nine days before Jacen wakes up on Myrkr...

Startled, Jacen woke up the next morning and he found himself looking into a pair of grey-ish eyes peering at him expectantly, Allana standing next to his bed in Isolder's old room, waiting for him to get up. With the Queen Mother gone, Jacen did not think it proper to sleep in her chambers. Shaking his head and still trying to get his eyes to focus, he groused, "How long have you been standing there, anyway?"

Allana giggled as she jumped up on the bed, landing mostly on top of him. "Only a little bit. I was trying to wake you up with the Force." She giggled some more as he tickled her and rolled her over beside him on the bed.

"Well, it worked." Jacen added drily. "What should we do today?" He asked as he stroked her hair. _When did she get so big?_

"Can we go to the zoo?" Allana asked meekly. "I've never been to the zoo."

Jacen's eyes narrowed. Something about the way that she asked made him suspect that she had been told to ask. Wryly, he asked, "Did Mommy tell you to ask about the zoo?" Allana's eyes widened in surprise; she _had_ been shielding her thoughts, just like Mommy taught. Chuckling, Jacen continued to play with her hair, "No, I didn't read your thoughts, I just sorta guessed." His daughter seemed mollified by this. "I would _love_ to take you to the zoo; I haven't been to one in quite a while." Allana's smile lit up the room. "But first, I need to take a shower, you need to get dressed, and we need to eat breakfast. Deal?"

"Deal. I'll race you to the kitchen." She jumped off the bed and raced to her room to get changed. Jacen laughed as he made his way to the 'fresher.

Tenel Ka had always insisted that Allana eat breakfast and lunch downstairs in the kitchen at the staff's table. She did not want her daughter to be overly pampered, and she encouraged Allana to get to know the people who worked so hard to ensure that the Palace ran efficiently. So, as Jacen was coming down the steps leading to the kitchen, he heard Allana busily telling one of the staff members that she was going to the zoo. Jacen smiled and nodded 'hello' to the young man who was politely listening to Allana as he was preparing some sort of poultry for dinner.

"What can I get you for breakfast Colonel Solo?" The chef asked.

"Please, call me Jacen, and I'll have some of what she's having, if you have any left," pointing to Allana's bowl. He stood behind Allana and started to put her hair into a loose braid.

"Certainly. Just a second." The young man walked over to a crock-pot on the counter and ladled a generous helping of oatmeal into a bowl. "Brown sugar? Cinnamon?" He asked.

"Both please." Jacen said, as he finished with Allana's hair.

Allana looked at her father quizzically, "When did you learn how to braid hair?"

Jacen chuckled as Isolder entered the kitchen. "Mom wouldn't allow my sister to cut her hair short, so I always needed help her braid it when we were getting into things." He said in a conspiring tone, winking at Isolder as the Crown Prince sat down.

"Hey Papa, guess what?" Allana said as she noticed her grandfather for the first time. "Mr. Jacen said that he would take me to the zoo!" Behind her, the chef chuckled at her obvious enthusiasm.

"Oh, he did, did he?" Isolder allowed, raising an eyebrow at Jacen, who rolled his eyes in return.

"Now that the feline is out of the bag," Jacen said wryly, shooting Allana a mock-accusatory glance, "do you have somebody who wouldn't mind escorting us. In civvies." Jacen pointed at his attire, a long-sleeve black t-shirt and blue pants.

Isolder smirked, "What, a Jedi can't handle escorting a five-year-old to the zoo?" Jacen only chuckled at the accusation. They both knew that Gadell would have a fit if he found out that Allana left the Palace without at least_ one_ Palace guard accompanying them. Isolder looked thoughtful, "I think that I know of someone who wouldn't mind going. I'll tell her to meet you at the front entrance in twenty minutes." Jacen nodded his approval.

The Prince Consort looked over at Allana, "Sweetie, please go brush go brush your teeth before you go." She gave her grandfather her best pouty look. "Well," Isolder added, "if you don't _want_ to go…."

"I do, I do." Allana yelped as she leapt out of her chair and ran upstairs. Jacen chuckled as she left. Getting the distinct feeling that the Prince wished to talk to him, he turned his attention back to the older man.

Prince Isolder sighed as his demeanor turned serious, "Look, I probably shouldn't be telling you this: I like you. You're a damn sight better than the other yahoos that are still going after my daughter." He paused, waiting for Jacen's reaction. The younger man only gave him a cautious smile. Isolder pressed on, "I have gotten the feeling that things between the two of you have become…_strained_."

Jacen could only nod. This conversation was becoming uncomfortable. He really did not want to talk about he and Tenel Ka's relationship problems with his _de facto_ father-in-law. He tried, and failed, to imagine Jag having this conversation with Han. Sighing in defeat, "It has. Maybe it is just the stress of my new posting, in addition to the stress that Tenel Ka has to deal with daily."

"That is probably it." Isolder agreed, not really wanting to press the issue. "If ever want any advice…" the Hapan man trailed off before refinding his courage to continue, "…well, I know a thing or two about being in a relationship with the Queen Mother." He gave Jacen a knowing smile, "I just want to see all three of you be happy."

From his tone Jacen gathered that Isolder had deduced, or been told, who Allana's father was. Oddly, the fact the Prince knew did not bother Jacen as much as he thought it would. "I'll keep that in mind." His tone became sincere, "Thank you, your highness." Jacen nodded his thanks to the chef as he went upstairs to check on Allana.

O O(_)O O

As Danni walked up the stairs to the front entrance of the Jedi Temple, she found herself to be of two minds about the architecture. There was not question that, with its minarets and squared dome, the Temple _was_ an elegant building, she was just confused as to why the Jedi decided to build an exact copy of the previous Temple. On one hand, she supposed that it was a way of telling the galaxy that nothing had changed: that the Jedi were still 'the guardians of peace and justice'. In her mind, however, the rebuilt Temple was a tad insulting; _everything _had changed. Trillions of sentient beings had died, billions were still homeless, millions, herself included, had _no_ idea what had ever become of their loved ones and family members. To pretend otherwise was disingenuous and myopic.

She sighed as she reached the top of the stairs, looking around for a 'Guest Entrance'. Perversely, she had an identification card to allow access to a building that the issuers of the card never expected her to use.

The problem with Jedi, she realized, was that they instantly knew if someone was trying to surreptitiously get into the Temple. "Can I help you, miss?" Came a pleasant baritone voice from her left.

Cringing at being so obviously out of place, she turned to face the mystery voice. A young man, possibly in his mid-to-late twenties was looking at her earnestly with his hazel eyes. Fishing her ID card out of her pocket, Danni answered. "Yes, you can. I'm here to do a bit of research at the library, but I've never actually been here before. Can you show me the way to the entrance?"

"Certainly. You doing some research for school?" He asked, running his eyes quickly over her form, not bothering to ask to see her ID.

He was smooth, no doubt about it. She knew that he knew she was not a University student, but what woman does not wish to be flattered about her appearance? Smiling wryly as she put her ID back in her pocket, "It's more of a family history project."

The young man arched an eyebrow as he led the way to the South entrance. "Really? Do you think you have Jedi ancestors?"

Danni shrugged, she supposed that there probably was; she had gotten her Force sensitivities from _somewhere_. "We don't really know, but I'd like to try to find out."

He grimaced as he produced his own ID card and inserted it into a scanner. The machine 'beeped' and with an audible 'click', the heavy-looking brass door unlocked. Her mystery guide opened the door, letting her enter the Temple first. "I'm afraid our records are…incomplete. With the Emperor's destruction of much of the old database, and the Vong…." His voice trailed off, clearly pained at what had happened. He shook his head as he led her across the large atrium to a bank of turbolifts . "Anyway, the library is on the eleventh floor. Take a right turn off of the elevator, and the front desk will be right there."

Smiling warmly at the young man, "Thank you. You are very kind."

It was his turn to smile. If Danni had her guess, his smile had managed to break quite a few hearts, both here on Coruscant and around the galaxy. "You are certainly welcome, Miss…" he held out his hand, expectantly.

She gave him sly look as he kissed her hand when she went to shake his. _Yep, Mr. Smooth_. "Danni."

Releasing her hand, he again shot her his winning smile, "Pleasure to meet you, Danni. I'm Valin." He cocked his head to one side, "Perhaps after your research, we could grab some dinner."

Danni smiled politely at his approach; Valin's over-the-top flirtations had probably worked on countless women across the galaxy. Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm much to old for you. Thank you for the offer, though."

Valin did not even seem to be bothered by his rejection. Smirking, he replied, "Older simply means that you are more in tune with what you want." Seeing the 'you've got to be kidding me' look that Danni was giving him, he shrugged. "Good luck on your research, Danni." He turned and made his way back to the front door. Danni only shook her head in response as she turned and pressed the 'call button' for the turbolift.

Getting off of the 'lift, she looked to her right, and saw the front desk to the library. Walking up to the teenage girl at the desk, Danni tried her most polite smile. "Good morning. Can you point me in the direction of the personnel records computers?"

The teen looked confused. Even after a decade of tying to replenish their ranks, there were still not all that many Jedi around, and she had never seen the older woman before. Trying to be courteous, she held out her hand expectantly, "I'll need to see some ID first, before I can give you access."

"Of course." For the second time that morning, she dug her card out of her pocket. Handing it to the girl, she noticed the young woman's scowl as she took the card from Danni. "Is something the matter?"

Eyeing Danni suspiciously, the girl answered, "Where did you get this card?"

Giving a small shrug, Danni replied cautiously, "Master Skywalker sent it to me." She paused, thinking, "It must have been six, seven years ago. Why?"

Crinkling her face, the teen replied, "I've never seen a card like this. I'm going to have to check it out."

The blonde woman only grimaced. She had hoped to get in and out without too much fuss, but it was not looking like that was going to happen. Still, what choice did she have? Sighing resignedly, "Okay."

The girl started typing away on the data terminal, trying to ascertain Danni's credentials. After reading some of the information on the screen, she gave a suspicious look. "It says here that you have remote access to the library. You didn't need to come here all the way from Zonoma Sekot."

Danni offered the teen an ingratiating smile, "My 'remote access' does not allow access to the personnel records. They are only accessible from the Temple." She paused and smiled more genuinely. "Besides, I needed a vacation."

At this, the girl chuckled. "I can imagine." She handed Danni her card back. "Well, it's an older card, but it checks out. You can access the records you require from any terminal." She leaned forward, conspirationally, "I recommend stopping by the Security Desk when you are done here, however, and get a new card."

Nodding, Danni replied, "I will, thank you."

"Certainly, Ms. Quee." Danni could not help but hear the knowing tone in the teen's voice. Apparently, she was still being talked about in the Temple. With that thought, Danni could not help but let out a small sigh; even after all this time, the Jedi still considered her departure to be almost traitorous. Pursing her lips, she walked around the desk and started looking for a free terminal, unsure about what to make of her notoriety.

Finding a terminal in an out-of-the-way corner of the library, Danni only stared at the computer screen for a while, unsure if she really wanted to start looking for Nelani Dinn. What had seemed like a good idea in the abstract when she left Zonoma, now scared the hell out of her. Jacen Solo still meant a great deal to her, and she was not sure if she really wanted to know the truth-sometimes, it really is better to live a lie. Taking a deep breath, she typed in 'Dinn, Nelani' into the personnel database.

Name: Dinn, Nelani.  
Born: 22 September, 17 ABY; Lorrd  
Arrived Jedi Academy, Ossus: 30 ABY  
Completed Jedi Academy: 38 ABY  
Currently Assigned: Lorrd System  
Address: 8261 Kincross Drive, Apt 3C; Arphoe, Lorrd.  
Date of Last Report: March, 40 ABY

Exhaling in relief, Danni allowed herself to feel hope. As she jotted down the address, she was relieved to note that there was no entry regarding Nelani's death, Maybe Sekot was mistaken; maybe none of what she had seen had happened. If so, there was a chance that she could stop Jacen from even starting down his dark path.

She frowned, however, when she read the 'Last Report' line again. _Three Months? _It had been three months since Nelani had contacted the Temple. Surely someone would have taken note and tried to contact her. The galaxy still was a dangerous place; it cannot be that the Order would let a twenty-two-year-old young woman go _three_ months without someone looking in on her. Looking at the screen, Danni's relief faded like the morning mist. _Something has gone wrong_.

Angrily she typed in 'Solo, Jacen', mostly because she needed to get Nelani's accusatory name off of the screen.

Name: Solo, Jacen  
Born: 6 June, 9 ABY; Coruscant  
Died: 12 May, 41 ABY; KIA  
Arrived Jedi Academy, Yavin: 21 ABY  
Completed Jedi Academy: 25 ABY  
Currently Assigned: Galactic Alliance Guard  
Address: Hancock Residences, Apt 195J; Senate District, Coruscant.  
Date of Last Report: April, 40 ABY

Glancing down at her flimsi pad, she took down Jacen's address. Suddenly, her mind fully processed what she had seen. Startled, she looked back at the screen:

Name: Solo, Jacen  
Born: 6 June, 9 ABY; Coruscant  
Arrived Jedi Academy, Yavin: 21 ABY  
Completed Jedi Academy: 25 ABY  
Currently Assigned: Galactic Alliance Guard  
Address: Hancock Residences, Apt 9539; Senate District, Coruscant.  
Last Report: April, 40 ABY

She scowled as she thought back to what she had seen. No, the screen definitely displayed a date for his death: a date almost one year in the future. She leaned back in her chair, her heart racing as she tried desperately to make sense of what was happening.

After staring at the screen for a few minutes, she became aware as a set of rapid, clipped footsteps headed in her direction. Danni allowed a sigh as she realized that her going unnoticed on her first visit to the Temple was now impossible; there were only two people she knew of that could make the very act of walking sound so..._angry_ and she had no real desire to speak to either of them. Resigned, she leaned forward and entered another name into the database.

The footfalls abruptly stopped behind her as the requested information came up on the screen:

Name: Veila, Tahiri.  
Born: 24 August, 13 ABY; Tatooine  
Arrived Jedi Academy, Yavin: 24 ABY  
Completed Jedi Academy: 25 ABY  
Currently Assigned: UNK  
Address: UNK  
Last Report: October, 36 ABY

"Hello, Danni." The woman behind her said in an over-polite voice.

Of the two women who somehow seemed to beat the ground into submission with their steps, Danni supposed that the one now behind her was the one she would rather talk to. Refusing to turn and face the woman, she stared instead at the information on the screen. Danni pushed a stray hair out of her eyes, trying to decide what the information on the screen meant. She found it hard to believe that _no one_ knew where Tahiri was. The young woman had almost become a sister to Danni, she was practically family to Han and Leia, and _no one_ knew where she was? She shook her head in disbelief. Finally, not wanting to be too rude, Danni finally replied blandly. "Hello, Jaina."

Clearly trying to be civil, the eldest Solo asked, "So, what brings you to the Temple?"

The blonde woman continued to stare at the screen as she answered curtly, "You're the Jedi, you tell me." Danni's shoulders slumped; she did not mean to take her frustration out on the oldest Solo sibling. Concerned about her 'sister', she tried again, "Where's Tahiri?"

She could see Jaina's grimace in the reflection on the monitor screen. The younger woman's voice lowered to a whisper, "I know that you and Tahiri were close, so I'll tell you straight. We don't know." At this, Danni turned to face the brunette and saw her chagrined face. "She disappeared not too long after Uncle…Master Skywalker sent her to Dagobah."

Danni could not hide her shock. "He did WHAT?" Both women grimaced as about ten beings turned to glare at them. Regaining her composure, she lowered her voice. "Why?"

Jaina shook her head, "I'd rather not get into that now." Her voice hardened, "I'll ask again: Why are you here?"

Danni decided to play Jaina's game of being vague. "Research. I don't have access to the personnel records from Zonoma, so I needed to come to the Temple."

Jaina shook her head, "You're going to have to do better than that, Danni. You could have commed us with a request."

Danni frowned as she finally stood to face the younger woman. "I could have, but I only would've gotten a runaround." Seeing the brunette's confused look, she continued angrily, "I've made requests in the past for information about Force techniques, and they were declined because of my status. So, I came to get some information in person."

Jaina looked troubled by Danni's admission. "Status? Danni, you _left_ the Order. Master Skywalker was kind enough…"

Danni interrupted, her green eyes flaring as she to burn through the younger woman. "I _left_? Is that what you think? That I'd _left_?" Grabbing Jaina by the arm, she steered her into the stacks of records behind her terminal where they could have a little more privacy.

Angrily, Jaina ripped her arm away from the blonde's grasp, _no one_ man-handled Jaina Solo. "Have a care…"

"I was _forced_ out." Danni interrupted angrily before Jaina could finish, her outrage at being exiled on Zonoma Sekot for the last decade erupting out in a low growl. "Apparently, there is no room in the Order for someone like me. Suddenly, the Order became an all-or-nothing institution." Pointing at the brunette, "It didn't seem that way to the likes of you, because _you_ are all Jedi, _all_ the time. Some of us aren't wired that way." She allowed her voice to rise, "I had a _life_ before the Vong took all of it away." Danni allowed her voice to become dangerously quiet as she leaned against one of the stacks, "The Jedi became my home. I thought that I could carve a new niche here, but the Order couldn't find a place for me." She smiled sadly, "Apparently, I do not fit the 'Jedi' mold." A decade of hurt showed in her face as she hissed, "I did not _leave_."

Jaina stood stunned. She had been present when Master Skywalker had made his ultimatum, but to her it was a way of trying to assert control of some of the Jedi who had decided to do his or her own thing, herself included. She had not given any thought to what it meant to people like Danni Quee.

With a flash of insight, she felt a wave of guilt about the way she had treated Tenel Ka. The Queen Mother had been one of her best friends, and Jaina had ignored her for years, thinking that she did not want to be bothered by the Jedi. Her gaze fell to the floor, clearly ashamed of her actions. "Danni, I don't…"

Again, the blonde woman interrupted, "What bothers me most is that if I were in a different career, they might have allowed me to stay." Her voice dropped, "No one really needs an astrophysicist."

Jaina could only nod in response, her heart going out to the scientist. It did seem at times that her uncle was arbitrary in some of his actions; her being allowed to remain a Jedi as others were exiled to Dagobah was proof enough of that.

Jaina smiled sadly at the older woman, "You should be having this conversation with Jacen. He has been on a crusade to allow 'non-traditional' Jedi for a couple of years now." Suddenly, it occurred to her that maybe he was on this crusade partly because of his past relationships with Danni and Tenel Ka. Seeing Danni perk up slightly at the mention of her brother's name, she gave the blonde a knowing look. "He's why you're here, isn't it?"

Angry with herself for betraying her continued attachment to Jacen Solo, Danni sighed, "I've been having a recurring vision about your brother and I need to get to the bottom of it."

The Jedi slowly nodded, "About what?"

Danni took a moment before answering, clearly considering whether to tell Jacen's sister the truth. Taking a deep breath, "I'd rather not say. It was pretty frightening, though." She looked into the brown eyes of the younger woman, finally noticing just how much they looked like her brother's. "Have you talked to him lately?"

Jaina only shrugged, "It's been a while. He's…changed. And not for the better."

Danni threw up her hands in disbelief, "And you haven't called him out on it?" She stood upright again, "When I was a kid, I always wanted a little brother so that I would have someone to run things by, someone who would look or for me." Disgust showed in her green eyes as she shook her head and continued coldly, "You have a _twin_, and you refuse to talk to him." Angrily, she turned to leave, clearly not wanting to believe that Jacen's own sister had already given up on him.

"He had me court-martialed!" Jaina yelled before Danni could reach the end of the row.

The scientist stopped and turned her head, "All the more reason to find out why he is acting this way." Danni turned all the way around and glared at the brunette, "Anakin would be pretty pissed if he found out that he saved your life just so you could watch your twin flounder."

Jaina reacted as if slapped. Jacen had told her once that Danni could be ruthless when pressed, but she had not really believed him; she assumed that Jacen was trying to justify his crush on the pretty scientist. Belatedly, Jaina realized that she should have known better; Jacen never offered false praise. Not having a better response, she hung her head in defeat. As she heared Danni turn again to leave, she called after her, "You broke his heart, you know."

Danni slumped her shoulders and turned a quarter turn to lean her head against the stack. "I know. I liked him so much, but I was confused. Because of the way we met, I wasn't sure that my feelings for him weren't just the result of Jacen being my 'knight in shining armor'." She turned her head to look at Jaina, "I didn't want that start of our relationship and the older woman part of me was screaming that he was just having a teenage crush." Smiling as she lifted her head from the stack, "He never had a 'hot teacher' at the academy, I suspect."

Jaina chuckled at that. "I don't know Tionne could look pretty sultry in her brown robes. " She caught Danni's raised eyebrow and shook her head, "No, the Masters tended to be a rather serious lot, at least in front of the kids. I think that is why we snuck out so much. " She smiled at the recollection of all of her forays into the jungles of Yavin, the jungles where it seemed that her and Jacen _really_ learned what it meant to be a Jedi. Maybe that was why the Masters never seemed to try very hard to find them. "As his sister, I should tell you: Jacen doesn't have 'crushes'. He goes all in."

Danni gave her a sad smile. "I know that _now_. Where was that sisterly advice a decade ago? " She heard Jaina's snort of laughter. "After he got back from his capture, we spent more time together and came to know each other on a deeper level." Danni found herself reliving the vacation at Mon Calamari, the trip aboard the _Jade Sabre-_all the stolen moments. "I did truly love him. But, the scientist in me saw his need to go learn all that he could about the Force. It was something that he was destined to do. I knew that there was no way I could talk him out of it, and I would regret even trying to get him to stay. I had these grandiose plans about telling him how I felt about him when he returned; I had planned to take him back to Mon Cal for a 'Welcome back…_again_' trip." Danni's smile faded, and her voice dropped to just above a whisper. "Except, he never returned." Her voice got even lower, "At least, not to me." The pain in her voice was palpable.

Even without using the Force, Jaina could tell that Jacen's wasn't the only heart that had been broken. "Why are you doing this?" she asked softly.

Danni gave her a curious look. "Because you're not." She turned a final time and left a dazed Jaina Solo standing amongst the stacks in the library.

O O(_)O O

Finding Jacen's office was easier than she thought it would be. Apparently, being head of the Galactic Alliance Guard was a more prestigious posting than she had assumed. His office was a corner suite midway up the hexagon-shaped Senate Administration Building. Danni passed through the already open wooden door into his outer office. The thick carpeting was a deep blue, with the Great Seal of the GFFA inlaid in it. Jacen's secretary, a tall girl in her early-twenties, with mocha-colored skin, curly shoulder-length black hair, and bright violet eyes, sat behind a rather large cherry wood desk and nodded as Danni entered. "Can I help you, Miss….?" She asked in a cheery voice.

Danni gave her a professional smile, and noticed that the young woman was dressed in regular business attire as opposed to the severe grey and black uniform of the GAG. "Good moring, Miss…" Danni glanced at the nameplate on the secretary's desk, "…Pelletier." The astrophysicist pointedly ignored the secretary's attempt at getting her name. "Is Major Solo in?"

Marné Pelletier quickly appraised the slightly older woman in front of her. She was pretty, but not gorgeous like most of the other women who came in to see her boss typically were; and she looked intelligent, which was a definite change over those other women. _GAG Groupies_, Jacen called them, derisively. Plus, she looked Marné in the eye and addressed her personally, something that the _groupies_ never did; Marné decided to_ try_ to like this woman. "I'm sorry, _Colonel _Solo is out. Is there something I can help you with?"

Danni scowled slightly to herself. "When do expect him back?"

The younger woman hesitated slightly, deciding whether to trust the woman in front of her. _Well, she _is _polite._ Making up her mind, she checked Solo's schedule on her computer screen. "He's been blocked out for the next two of days."

Danni smirked slightly and stared up at the wall behind the secretary, drumming her fingers on Pelletier's desk clearly lost in thought. Having made her decision, she again addressed Marné; "I'd like to make an appointment to see Colonel Solo in three days, if I could."

"Certainly, Ms…." Pelletier tried again to get Danni's name.

Danni chuckled at her persistence. "I'd rather not say." Giving Marné a sad smile, "It would just give him more time to come up with excuses. Just put that I am a representative from ExGal."

Marné almost declined to make an appointment without a name, but the mystery woman in front of her seemed sincere. _Must be an old girlfriend._ Checking Jacen's schedule again, "How does 0930 on Thursday sound?"

Danni nodded, "That'll be fine." Smiling, she added, "Thank you, Ms. Pelletier."

"Certainly." Marné said as Danni left the office. As she made the appointment in Jacen's calendar, she said quietly to herself, "Jacen should rekindle something with her. She's far nicer than any of the _groupies._"

O O(_)O O

As Jag took the seat across from her in the Temple's cafeteria, Jaina asked nonchalantly, "What do you know about Danni Quee?"

Blinking in surprise, it occurred to the former CEDF pilot that he would never get used to Jaina's random questions. Trying not to roll his eyes, he answered vaguely, "Not much; I don't know that I have ever met the woman. She could be sitting right behind me and I wouldn't know it."

Unfortunately for him, Jaina recognized the dodge. Squinting her eyes, "And…"

Jag gave her a half-shrug as he replied, "My mother gave Danni a standing invitation for her to visit Csila anytime she got tired of being on Zonoma, so Danni has visited my parents every six months or so." He smiled slightly, "Both Mother and Wyn view Danni as practically a family member now." Nodding a 'hello' to a passing Jedi student, he continued, "Even my father thinks highly of her, and he doesn't warm up to _anyone_." Shrugging again, "I guess if my family trusts her, I have no reason not to." He tilted his head fractionally and looked at Jaina out of the corner of his eye. "Why?"

Jaina was staring through his chest as she answered, "I ran into her today here at the library. The girl working at the front desk called me and informed me that Danni was here and looking into our personnel records."

Jag frowned as he took a bite of his salad, "Doesn't she have remote access to the library?"

He noticed that Jaina still had her thousand-meter stare as she replied absently, "Apparently it doesn't allow access to the personnel records. She was looking up Tahiri when I caught up with her." She focused her attention on Jag abrubtly, "She accused me of giving up on Jacen."

Colonel Fel only nodded as he took another bite.

Jaina's eyes turned hard. "You agree with her assessment?"

Jag let out a long breath as he tried to determine how many nights on the couch this was going to cost him. "I do." He gave his girlfriend a long look, "It's not really my place to say; but if it were Wynnsa that was acting this way, I would not stand idly by and watch her destroy herself like this."

She looked sharply at her boyfriend, her voice rising, "He started a war!"

Taking her hand, he replied matter-of-factly, "We both know that the war with the Killiks was going to come sooner or later. It was a tenderbox waiting for a spark." He paused, lost in his own memories. This time, he was the one with the vacant stare. He did not touch on the fact that he felt Jaina and Zekk both were partly responsible for the Killik Crisis, nor did he need to-he saw from her look that she remembered her role in the affair. "The Ascendancy was only looking for a small provocation. There would have been one in a matter of weeks, even without Jacen Solo."

Shaking his head to clear his memories, Jag looked into her brown eyes again and lowered his voice; "Jacen used to be the moral 'heading indicator' for the Order." Jaina nodded sadly as he continued, "The thing is: heading indicators need to be reset from time to time. He's adrift, Jaina, and floundering for direction." Squeezing her hand, he nodded in the direction of the door, "You need to find out why Danni is here—you need to help her reset your brother's heading."

O O(_)O O

After dinner, Tenel Ka was relaxing in her overly extravagant suite aboard the _Star_ _Home_, reading over the briefing notes for tomorrow morning's discussion: corporate taxation. She sighed to herself, _Always a knock-down-drag-out._ The Consortium has experienced six consecutive years of growth; their corporate tax rate was among the lowest of all industrialized worlds, and some corporate interests _still _lobbied for lower tax rates. The Queen Mother would not abandon Teneniel's goal of making Hapan universities the best around, and only a first-rate primary school system could feed top-notch colleges. Also, the Fleet needed a new fighter-bomber. The Miy'til IIB models, although an upgrade from the original design, were still woefully underarmed. If the CEOs lost a bit of their margin to make all of this happen, well, that was the price of doing business in the Consortium. She knew, as did the CEOs, that the Consortium offered safety, a well-paid bureaucracy to counter graft, consistent regulations, and prestige to the corporate sector and she did not think many corporations would leave to set up shop elsewhere.

As she started to outline her arguments as to why the corporate rate should remain the same, her secure communications console rang. Confusion clouded her face; _Only the Palace has the codes for_... Alarmed, she reached out in the Force for Allana and Jacen, only to find nothing untoward emanating from them. Frowning, she made her way over to the communications desk and hit the 'Receive' button; only to jerk back as the screen was filled with a red-haired, grey-eyed, five-year-old.

"Hi Mommy!" Allana screeched. "Guess what: Jedi Jacen took me to the zoo today! Just like you said he would!" Tenel Ka could see Jacen smirking behind his daughter.

Tenel Ka's eyes sparkled as she took in their little girl's excitement. "He did? Which animals did you see?" She could tell by Allana's big smile that she had asked the right question.

"Well, we saw the big felines, pachyderms, crystal snakes…" Tenel Ka couldn't help but smile at her admission of seeing one of her father's previous pets. "…rancors, wild canines…." Allana went on to list the number of animals that her and Jacen had seen, but Tenel Ka had lost herself in the sense of joy radiating from the girl's father, nodding at all the appropriate times in Allana's recitation. It had been a long time since she had seen Jacen truly happy.

When Allana had finished her list, Tenel Ka turned her attention back to her daughter and asked, "So…which one was your favorite?"

"Hmm…" Allana scrunched her face, clearly thinking hard. "I think that I like _all_ of the big felines."

Tenel Ka's amusement showed in her eyes; Jacen had always been drawn to them as well. She gave her daughter a knowing look, "Did you know that Jedi Jacen likes the felines as well?"

Allana's eyes became large, and she looked over the shoulder at her father. "Really?" Jacen only nodded.

Confused, Tenel Ka asked, "Did you not tell her?"

Jacen smiled, "I didn't want to influence her trip."

Off camera, Tenel Ka could hear the nanny droid telling Allana that it was time for bed. Only when given a stern look by her mother, did Allana acquiesce, "Okay," she said mournfully, "Can we talk tomorrow?" Tenel Ka nodded and smiled at her little girl as she left for bed.

After Jacen sat down in front of the terminal, he shot Tenel Ka a lop-sided grin, "Thanks for giving her the idea." His demeanor became more serious, "Today was the only the second time I'd been to a zoo when I wasn't with someone who's only goal was to get out of there." He paused, both of them remembering the time that she had taken him to the zoo during one of their trips to Hapes when on a break from the Academy. In hindsight, it was one of the only 'dates' he and her had ever been on. He continued, his voice nostalgic, "When I was a kid, Jaina and Anakin were always trying to hot–wire some exhibit, or reprogram the shuttle, or some other act of vagrancy, so Mom and Dad were always rushing us through." He gave her a sad smile at the recollections.

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Anyway, Allana was great today. We spent forever looking at all of the felines, and it wasn't even my idea. We wandered from enclosure to enclosure talking about what needed to be done to make them even better for the animals." He could not keep the note of pride out of his voice. "We must've made four circuits around the black pantera exhibit alone. I started to feel bad for Trista."

She gave him a knowing look, "Ah. I was wondering who _escorted_ you today."

Jacen snorted, "It was your father's idea. I had no idea that she was the head of his security detail." Tenel Ka only gave him a 'what are you going to do' shrug. "It actually worked out well; she and Allana look alike, so I think everyone assumed that we were a family. Trista is actually a pretty fun person to be around." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Probably why your father had her escort us." Jacen saw the Queen Mother give him a slight smile and another small shrug. He continued, "So, how'd your day go?"

Tenel Ka rolled her eyes. "Today's topics were: increased direct elections for the planetary parliaments, followed by an afternoon discussion about farm subsidies."

Jacen grimaced, "Well the first one doesn't sound so bad; but the second…"

"Yes," she agreed, "a tad dry." There was a distinct twinkle in her eye as she said this. "Tomorrow morning's topic is not any better: Corporate taxation."

It was Jacen's turn to roll his eyes. "Don't the lobbyists know that Hapes' corporate rate is already amongst the lowest around?" The Queen Mother gave him a nod. "And they know that Hapes' schools are the best in this sector, right?" Another nod. "_Everyone _wants a free lunch." Jacen said sadly, as he shook his head. Using his best command voice, "Give 'em hell."

Tenel Ka smiled; she intended to do just that. She opened her mouth to reply, but Jacen beat her to it, his voice sincere "Thanks again for having her ask."

She could not help but smile. "You're welcome, Jacen." Inwardly, she grimaced; she needed to talk to him about his actions on Coruscant and now would be as good a time as any. "Jacen?" She started, wanting to get his complete attention-she needed to voice her concern about his actions of rounding up a large number of ex-pat Corellians and forcing them into ghettos. It seemed to be the anathema of everything that the Alliance stood for. As Queen Mother, she needed to know _why_ he was pursuing this course of action. Looking at his expectant face, however, she once again found that her courage had deserted her. Having a fight, and it was surely going to be one, over the comm would only increase tensions between them, and they were actually getting along today. _I will bring it up tomorrow._ She shook her head, "Never mind. Call me tomorrow?"

Jacen smiled, "Of course, Your Majesty," he replied, using her title just to needle her a bit. "Good night." With that, he terminated the connection.

"Good night," she whispered. _Damn it! Why am I so afraid of confronting him?_ Muttering to herself, "Am I the Queen Mother or not?" No one else seemed to be willing, or able, to reign Jacen in, so it was incumbent upon her to do so. What was she afraid of? _You are afraid of losing him._ Tenel Ka sighed sadly as she made her way back to her notes, trying to ignore the nagging little voice.

* * *

A/N: I played pretty loose with the hyperspace travel time from Zonoma to Coruscant. I'd feel bad, except that having Danni in her ship by herself for a couple of days wouldn't really advance the story! A word of warning, I'll play loose with the travel time a couple more times!

I guessed at Nelani's birth year (there is none listed), going off the age that other kids got to the Academy. Also, I will push back her training with Jacen to later in his tenure at the academy, mainly for the purpose of story-telling but also because I have NO idea where the 33ABY date comes from in Wookipedia. What are they basing that on? I feel that my guess is just as valid as theirs.

I didn't use the 'in-universe' months, because they are meaningless to us; I wanted you to quickly grasp the data Danni had pulled up. Using 'in-universe' timing does nothing to further the story.

It seemed to me that Wyn Fel and Danni Quee were starting to get along, and I think it unreasonable to assume that Danni spent the ENTIRE time on Zonoma. Even scientists need a vacation! So, I had her take a few trips to Csilla.


	9. Chapter 9--Weapon of Mass Destruction

**Chapter 9—Weapon of Mass Destruction**

A/N: Thanks again to all of you who have been reading my silly story. Double thanks to Onimi, 'Saber, Boris, and 'Chic who have kept me honest with this. Any and all continuity errors are the fault of the author and unintentional, unless noted. Once again, we veer a bit into 'European T' territory.

* * *

Forty-six days prior to Colonel Solo's forced vacation to Myrkr...

Danni showed up at Jacen's office at 09:25; she assumed him to be busy, and she didn't want him to be able to dismiss her because she was not on time. As she walked into his outer office, Ms. Pelletier looked up from her data screen to acknowledge the new arrival. Giving Danni a critical look, as if deciding whether or not Danni was suitable enough to interrupt her boss, Marné finally gave her a warm smile, Danni having passed whatever criteria the secretary had used.

"Ah, Miss ExGal, you are right on time." Danni smiled politely at the barb, knowing there was no real malice behind it. Marné raised an eyebrow as she stood up and continued drily, "Are we still playing cloak-and-blade, or will I finally learn your name?"

Danni chuckled and quickly decided that she rather liked Marné Pelletier. Extending her hand, she replied in a friendly tone, "I'm Danni Quee."

The violet-eyed secretary stood and warmly shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Quee. Just one second." She turned and opened the door to Jacen's office, "Colonel Solo, the representative for Ex-Gal is here." She closed the door again and turned back around. Seeing the confused look on Danni's face, "You did say that you didn't want to give him any advanced notice." She replied drily, winking at Danni as she made her way back to her desk, indicating that Danni was free to enter Jacen's office.

O O(_)O O

Jacen was looking over the reports from yesterday's surveillance activities when Marné knocked on his door. "Colonel Solo, the representative from ExGal is here."

_ExGal_? He looked up at her with his brows furrowed. _ExGal_? The name sounded familiar for some reason, but couldn't place it. Giving it up as a lost cause, he shrugged. "Very well, send him in." Marné only gave him a knowing smile as she closed the door. Frowning, he looked back at the report, writing a note to one side of the page. Hearing the door open, he held up a finger without looking up. "I'll be with you in just a second, I just need to finish jotting this down. Have a seat if you wish." He did not hear any movement, so he surmised that his guest preferred to stand. Finishing his note, he looked up at the person standing patiently in his office and felt his heart skip a beat.

_Danni?_ Jacen could not help but run his eyes over her attractive form: her blonde hair was pulled up in a loose bun and she was dressed in a white button-down blouse and grey skirt that contrasted nicely with her tan legs. He had only seen her in a similar outfit once, and had jokingly called it her 'hot librarian' look and was rewarded for his comment with a punch to the arm. It was, he reflected, _still_ a 'hot librarian' look; probably because she was smart enough to actually _be_ a librarian. As the GAG Colonel rose and stepped around his black desk, he fought to resist the urge to rush over and embrace her in a giant hug, holding out his hand instead. "Danni." He said quietly, gently kissing her hand when she offered it, his eyes searching hers, "It's been a long time."

To her credit, she did not chastise him, although she could have. After everything they had been through, he had never bothered to stop by Zonoma Sekot, or even call. If anyone had a right to be upset with him, it was Danni Quee. Instead, she merely nodded. "It has."

For a couple of moments, he simply held her hand as they continued to look at each other as if the intervening years did not exist. Smiling, he let go of her hand, "So, what brings you to Coruscant?"

_You_. Danni wanted to say; she wanted to leap into the embrace that she could tell he _wished_ to give. Breaking away from his intense gaze, she looked around at his sparsely appointed office, a stark contrast with Ms. Pelletier's office; hers was warm, inviting. His office was sterile, impersonal…cold. "I got tired of being 'out-of-mind' out on Zonoma. I wish to _live_ again." As she talked, she carefully reached out with the Force. She could sense Jacen, barely, and was confused as to why he seemed so _dim_, but also sensed something else. Something…slippery. Danni mentally shook her head at the revelation. Returning her eyes to him, she looked over his face. Jacen looked…tired: chronically tired. His face was thin and pale, his hair looked limp, but it was his eyes that mostly gave it away. Gone was the usual sparkle of mischief, the warmth, and the depth that she always wanted to lose herself in. Instead, they were…not cold exactly, but…measured. Calculating. Realizing that he would probably see her answer for the dodge that it was, she tried the direct approach. "Jacen, I've been hearing things..." her voice trailed off as she lost the courage to confront her friend. Desperately, she hoped that he would want her help.

Jacen quickly tamped down his flicker of surprise. Were she anyone else, she probably would not have noticed. Recovering, he offered a wan smile and shrugged, "What sorts of things?"

Danni raised an eyebrow, "You always were a lousy liar, Jacen." Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief, noticing that he did not dismiss her accusation out of hand.

The GAG Colonel sat on the edge of his desk as he let out a deep sigh, _Only to you_-_No one else seems to notice._ As he continued to look at his friend, the old Hutt adage, 'If you tell lies long enough and well enough, they become the truth,' sprang to mind. Lately, Jacen had found it easier to hide the truth from those around him and he wasn't sure if it was because he was getting better at it, or if they just stopped caring. Either way, a pretty depressing thought. Laughing humorlessly to himself; "Truthfully? It has been a tough couple of weeks." He stood up and walked over to the door and closed it, not wanting Marné to hear what he had done. She would find out soon enough that her boss was a major disappointment; he had no desire for her to learn that today.

Leaning back against the door, he waited for Danni to turn to face him. Later, he would reflect that he never understand why he answered the way he did: maybe it was because Danni was the only person left that he had _not_ lied to, maybe it was because he wanted _someone_ to know the truth, maybe it was simply because he was tired of hiding, or maybe he it was because he realized that Danni Quee was the_ one_ person who might understand. Whatever the reason, he confessed softly; "I killed a woman last week."

He was not sure what he had expected her reaction to be, but her obvious concern was not on the list. Anger, shock, betrayal; these were all the reactions he expected, because they were the reactions of everyone else. Jacen would not have been surprised if she just marched straight past him and never spoke to him again; in fact, he expected her to do just that. As he stared into those fantastic green eyes of hers, it occurred to him that Danni seemed to know what he had done. Instead of leaving, she only looked at him, her green eyes full of worry, "What happened?"

Jacen let out a long breath, and continued to look at her. "We..." Shaking his head, he tried again, "…_I_ …was interrogating a suspect in a terrorist bombing case and I let my emotion get the best of me." Clearly shaken, he turned his gaze out the window. His voice dropped so that she had to strain to hear him. "I got frustrated with her evasive answers, and I…lost control." Danni could hear the pain and frustration in his voice.

_You've killed_ two_ people now? _She thought before quickly recovering. Burying her shock, hoping that Jacen wouldn't pick up on it, she fought the urge to give her friend a comforting hug. As she continued to stare at him, the analytical part of her mind kicked in. "How solid was your evidence?"

The GAG Colonel's head snapped over to look at the blonde woman. She had managed to surprise him three times now in about five minutes. Maybe it was because of their past history, or maybe it was because she had been out on Zonoma and had missed most of his 'discussions' with the Order, but it dawned on him that Danni could be a useful ally and he allowed an inward smile. Answering, "Oh, she was guilty. She _admitted_ to planting the bomb." He paused, trying to decide how much to reveal, needing to see what Danni could deduce. Softly, he continued, "She even confessed as to who the target was. We were just trying to get her to admit who her sponsor was."

Danni was just as fast to make connections as he remembered. "You. You were the target." He nodded as she stepped forward and took his hand, her tone concerned. "Internal Affairs will understand why you lost your composure." Her eyes narrowed. As head of the GAG, he _could_ stall an investigation. "You _are_ allowing IA to investigate, aren't you?"

Jacen offered her a sad smile, "Of course. They interviewed me a few days ago, and I've already filed my report." As he talked, he quickly assessed the blonde woman. She was smart, she refused to be intimidated, and, perhaps most importantly, she had yet to be indoctrinated by Skywalker. Fate, or perhaps the Force, had brought Danni Quee back into his life. "I've been put on an 'administrative hold' status while they finish their investigation." Seeing her look of confusion, "It means that I am tied to the office until they deem me fit for line duty."

The blonde woman knew Jacen well enough to know that it killed him to be a 'desk jockey'. He always thought that leaders were best seen at the front, enduring the same crappy conditions as his troops, never wanting others to do what he should be doing for himself.

She let go of his hand and started pacing around his office, lost in thought. "Why would anyone want to kill you?"

Jacen only gave her a shrug, "Occupational hazard?" he opined, still testing her.

She stopped pacing and scowled at him, "No. There's more to it than that." The blonde woman started pacing again, biting her thumbnail as she did. Mumbling to herself, "Why would anyone want to bump of the head of the Galactic Alliance Guard?" Jacen smirked as he watched her pace, he had forgotten how focused on a problem she could get. Absently, she looked out the window behind his desk, still thinking out loud. "The GAG hasn't even been around that…"She snapped her fingers and looked at him, "The Corellians. Corellians are behind the bombing."

Clearly impressed, Jacen nodded; Danni was doing well. "That is our guess as well."

She started pacing again. "Why, though? The Corellians weren't protesting much at all until…" Danni stopped again, pointing accusingly, "Centerpoint. _You_ were behind the attack on Centerpoint." Jacen carefully kept his expression blank. She glared at him before she turned away; there was more to this story. Suddenly, it clicked. Danni whipped around again, this time the fury _really_ evident in her eyes. "Skywalker sent you. That was a _Jedi_ mission."

The GAG Colonel only narrowed his eyes, grinning inwardly; she _was_ good. "How did you come to that conclusion?" Danni noticed that he did not deny the accusation.

Danni held up a hand and started ticking her reasons off on her fingers, "One: the Galactic Guard didn't exist at the time, so it couldn't have done it under the auspices of this office. Two: You would've never done something like that on your own; the Jacen Solo I know is not _that_ reckless." She continued to stare coldly at him as he chuckled humorlessly at her comment. "So…that implies that you were ordered to try to take it out. Since Chief Omas does not have any authority over the Jedi Order, it stands that _Grand_ Master Skywalker had you do it." Danni practically spit out Skywalker's formal title.

Jacen did not know why he was so surprised; he had often told people that Danni was the smartest person he knew. Still, the speed at which she came to the correct conclusion was rather frightening. In a monotone, "Uncle Luke felt that the Corellians would use it to threaten other worlds."

She snorted, "Of course they would: that is the _reason_ the damned thing exists. It wasn't even operational." Danni shook her head. "Your mother, _his_ sister, was Chief of State. Didn't either one of you learn anything from her?" Jacen only looked at her confusedly. "Perception is everything. The Corellians had a _perceived_ bargaining chip." Frustrated by the whole fiasco, she threw up her hands. "Ugh. You're all a bunch of rookies. Now what?"

Jacen only shrugged. "Dinner?"

She snapped her head around to look at him. "What?"

He offered up a slight smile. "I'd like to continue this conversation over dinner. Will you join me?"

It wasn't the smile that she longed to see, but she supposed that it would do for now. Smiling back, "Sure."

Jacen picked up his comlink. "Marné, please book us a table at Gustav's for tonight. 8:00pm." He paused slightly. "Thanks, Marné."

Danni kept the smile on her face as she said neutrally, "That sounds nice."

Perplexed, Jacen glanced at his friend. Suddenly, it dawned on him; "I'm sorry, I forget that you are not Coruscanti." She shrugged slightly. "Gustav's is one of the best steakhouses on the planet. The owners managed to escape during the invasion and rebuilt the restaurant shortly after the war ended."

Danni nodded as a playful grin crossed her lips. "Are you sure that you can get us a table, Mr. Number Eight on Coruscant's 'Most Eligible Bachelor' listing?"

Jacen grimaced and rolled his eyes. "Ugh. I didn't know that you read that drivel."

Her green eyes continued to sparkle as the grin stayed on her face. She shook her head. "Oh, I don't. Tahiri was thoughtful enough to send me a copy."

"Remind me to thank her." Jacen said drily as he escorted Danni past Marné's desk to the outer door of their office. He kissed her cheek as he opened the door. "I'll see you tonight. Thank you for stopping by."

Danni took his hand as her eyes searched his face. "You're welcome, Jacen."

As he walked back to his office, he saw the wry smile on his assistant's face. "It's nothing like that." He said gruffly as he passed her desk, hearing her chuckle as he did so.

O O(_)O O

Trying to refocus his attention on the report he was working on, Jacen nearly jumped when a sultry voice sounded in his ear. "Who was that?"

Grimacing at being surprised, Jacen replied drily, "Hello, Lumiya." He turned his chair to look at the Sith Lord, and answered her question. "Just an old friend."

Lumiya's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Really? She's very pretty. Does she have a name?"

"She does." Jacen answered succinctly. The first thing he learned from his Sith Master was to only answer the question being asked.

Jacen could almost see Lumiya's smile "And strong. Untrained obviously, but strong." She looked at him meaningfully, "She would make a fine apprentice."

_No. She would make something better. _"It did cross my mind."

"Good, we need to find you a replacement." Her voice turned serious, "Have you given any thought to…"

Jacen interrupted angrily, "No. And if you don't stop bringing it up, _you_ will be my sacrifice."

Lumiya merely shrugged, "If that is what is required." With that, she turned and left his office through the same secret door that she entered.

Try as he might, Jacen could not focus on his work for the entirety of the day. Giving up on reading the report on his desk, he stood and gazed out his window, his thoughts wandering to the blonde woman who had just re-entered his life. Something was lingering in the back of his mind; there was something about the way their conversation ended that was bugging him. Suddenly, it clicked: Dinner. In all the months they had dated, they not once gone to a restaurant like Gustav's. Danni hated pretense almost as much as he did, so why did he feel the need to take her there? Danni was not just another one of his 'dates'; Jacen took the 'groupies' to Gustav's because he knew that they needed to be 'seen'. Danni did not. He was insulting her by treating her like those other women he took out. Even after all this time, Danni Quee still meant something to him and he needed to treat her accordingly.

Thus decided, he picked up his comlink and called down to the GAG duty desk. After the desk sergeant answered, "Good afternoon." He did not explain to the sergeant who he was, the caller ID function had already done that. "Could you tell me who is patrolling sector…" Jacen paused, pulling up the GAG sector map on his vidscreen; like any police force, the Galactic Alliance Guard had routine patrols. "…sixteen this evening?" Jacen looked at his wrist chrono: 16:30. The night shift should be coming in for 'guard mount' and shift briefing in about an hour and a half. "Sergeant Shimizu." Jacen repeated, jotting the name down. Frowning to himself, he tried to picture the man's face and nodded as Shimizu's face came to mind. "Can you have him stop by my office after the brief?" The desk sergeant answered in the affirmative with a concerned voice. Jacen smiled, "No, no, he's not in any trouble. I just have an errand for him this evening." He could hear the relief in the man's voice. After disconnecting the call, he quickly wrote two notes on different flimsi, putting one of them in an envelope.

Jacen forced himself into writing a report that the Foreign Office had requested about the numbers of Corellians injured in the last two months. Getting lost in the minutia of the report, he lost track of time. The alarm on his chrono beeped, breaking him out of his writing bubble. _18:00?_ Jacen got up from behind his desk to wait for Sergeant Shimizu at Marné's desk, assuming that the kid would be apprehensive enough about going to see the boss, and Jacen wanted to put him at ease by meeting him out in the outer office.

Opening the door to his office, he noticed that his assistant was still at her desk, busy with tracking overtime expenses from last week. While the GAG's budget was decidedly large, it was still finite and they needed to track all their expenditures. Furrowing his brow, he asked kindly, "Why are you still here?"

Marné Pelletier turned to look at her boss, "Our civilian expenses are due in three days, and I wanted to get a jump on them." Jacen only shook his head at her work ethic. He didn't know how she got assigned to work for him, but she was definitely a keeper. "Three days?" Marné nodded her head. Jacen chuckled, "Go home. Don't come in until 09:00 tomorrow." They both knew that she wouldn't. She would come in at her usual 07:30. Her usual hours _supposed_ to be 08:00 to 16:00, but she only called them 'guidelines' when he complained about her working so much. Sometimes, he needed to almost physically remove her from her desk.

About five minutes after Marné left, Sergeant Akai Shimizu walked into the office, clearly nervous about being summoned by the boss. "Colonel Solo? I was told you wanted to see me?"

Jacen smiled as he walked over to shake Shimizu's hand. "Yes Akai, thanks for coming up. I have a favor to ask of you." He paused slightly, seeing the man's unease. "It's nothing major and it'll be fully within your duties for tonight…" he allowed a wry smile, "…Mostly."

The sergeant's look became confused. Colonel Solo had the reputation of being completely 'by the book', and here he was hinting at a favor that was 'mostly within his duties.'

Still smiling, Jacen explained, "I am supposed to meet a woman at Gustav's this evening at 20:00, and I need to change the venue. Can you deliver this to her for me?" Jacen asked, as he held out an envelope.

Relief flooded across the younger man's face, he was expecting something entirely more nefarious. He nodded, "Certainly sir." Wrinkling his brow, "Wouldn't it just be faster to call her?

"Probably." Jacen agreed, shaking his head slightly, "It would also give her more time to rethink our date and bail out of it."

Shimizu gave him an understanding nod. On one level, it was good to know that Colonel Solo had the same problems with women that every other man did. "Uh…how do I recognize this woman?"

Colonel Solo chuckled, "Right, that would be good to know, wouldn't it!" Akai only shrugged and Jacen gave him a brief description of Danni Quee.

Before Akai Shimizu could turn to leave, Jacen added, "Oh, one more thing, Akai. Are you still seeing that broker from the Commerce Guild Investment Bank?"

Sergeant Shimizu could not hide his surprise. He had mentioned his girlfriend once while on a patrol with Colonel Solo a few months back, and he was shocked that his boss could remember such a trivial detail. "Uhhh…yes sir."

Again, Colonel Solo smiled at his subordinate and his voice turned melancholy, "This job is not easy on relationships." The young man noticed that his boss's focus was far away and it seemed that the Colonel wasn't really talking to him. Jacen turned his gaze back to the younger man as he shook his head. "Anyway, give this note to the matre'd." Jacen pulled the flimsi out of his jacket pocket. "This note will tell him that you and your girlfriend are to have my reservation for this evening."

Shock crossed the Sergeant's face. "Sir, I can't afford…"

Jacen interrupted, "Yes, you can." As he handed the man two one-hundred credit chits, "This should be enough, depending on what kind of wine you get." Smiling warmly, he continued. "Keep in mind, you are still on duty, so don't have _too_ much."

Akai chuckled, "Yes sir." His tone turned serious. "Are you sure that this is proper?"

Jacen rolled his eyes at the question. On one hand, he was impressed that the young sergeant didn't want to do anything untoward; on the other hand, it was _just _dinner. "Let me put it this way. I called and asked the desk sergeant who was patrolling sector sixteen this evening. Therefore, it is only blind luck for you to be here; I was going to give the reservations and money to whomever was assigned to that sector tonight: meaning that my gift was available to everyone and was not given specifically to you." Jacen smiled at the GAG sergeant. "Good enough?"

Shimizu nodded, and answered, clearly chagrined. "Yes sir."

"Good. Enjoy dinner!" He shook the younger man's hand. "Thank you, Akai."

"Yes sir."

O O(_)O O

After paying the cabbie, Danni entered the small bistro and saw Jacen sitting over on the right side of the establishment next to a large window overlooking the street. Jacen had changed out of the GAG's severe grey and black uniform into a simple pink button-down shirt and black dress pants.

Jacen stood as she walked in, smiling warmly. Danni saw that the smile still didn't reach his eyes, but at least it was an improvement over earlier. Danni chose not to change clothes from earlier, but Jacen didn't mind; it _was_ a 'hot librarian' look. "I wasn't sure if you would come." Jacen admitted as he helped push her seat in.

"I almost didn't." Danni confessed as she watched him make his way around the table and sit opposite her. "It was the look on the face of Sergeant Shimizu's girlfriend that did it. She was awed by the place. That was a very generous thing to do."

Jacen waved a hand to shoo away the compliment. The thought that his gesture to a fellow GAG investigator would impress Danni Quee had not entered his mind. "Mom often showed us that spontaneous gifts are often better than ones given for a purpose."

Danni noticed the almost wistful smile on her friend's face. Apparently, Jacen had become estranged from a lot of people lately. Attempting to change the mood, she asked, "So, why here?" Apprehensively, she looked around the bistro, adding quietly, "Gustav's looked more reputable."

Colonel Solo chuckled at Danni's observation. "Don't tell anyone, but the food here is better, and a heck of a lot cheaper." The waitress that had just arrived smiled at his comment and asked for their drink orders. She looked a bit perplexed when Danni ordered a Commenorian ale, as most found them do be too stout, but she did not seem surprised when Jacen wanted only water. Shrugging her shoulders, she went to fill their drink request. Jacen continued, "Besides, Gustav's is not…us." Danni quickly focused her attention on him again; she was unsure if he even reflected about _them_. As she looked into his brown eyes he continued softly, "I wanted you to know that I still remember _us_, even if I've done a horrible job of keeping in touch." He reached across the table to take her hand, "I didn't want you to think that I saw you as one of my _dates_."

Danni smiled when she heard the derision in his voice. She _had_ been telling the truth when she said that she didn't keep up with all the celebrity gossip emanating from Coruscant; but she still took notice the five or six times that Jacen Solo was shown on the celebrity holonews, always with some lovely woman draped on his arm. "Why do you go with them, then?"

Rolling his eyes, he explained, "As a political appointee, I am expected to attend a certain number of functions. By taking a 'date', I can remain mostly incognito because most of the attention is on them." He shrugged, "It's kind of a win-win. I get to avoid being noticed because my 'date' is much more attractive than me, and they get a PR boost because it makes them seem like they are on a date with an average guy."

Danni cocked her head to one side; it did make sense, in a bizarre sort of way. Chuckling, "I would hardly think you _average_." She paused, considering, "And in exchange for this PR boost?" she asked, pointedly.

Jacen looked chagrined; he did not really care if Coruscant as a whole assumed that he was sleeping with these other women, but, for some reason, it did bother him that Danni thought that he was. He needed _someone_ to know that he was not that superficial. Looking at her seriously, he answered, "I have _not_ slept with any of them, Danni. I don't believe in casual sex. I still think that sex needs to _mean _something."

Danni smiled slightly. It was good to know that her Jacen was still in there somewhere, that he had not allowed the war to change him completely. Their waitress returned with their drinks and took their orders-Jacen asking for a nerf steak, Danni a spicy noodle dish.

Danni watched the waitress as she left, and noticed a deep scar that ran across the back of both of her legs, just below the knees. Jacen caught her staring at the petite brunette; "Cristiana was on Obroa-skai when it fell to the Vong." His tone became sorrowful, "Her squad was nearly overrun trying to defend the airfield. When the medics got to her, they told her that she would likely lose both legs. Only the skill of a plastic surgeon on Hapes saved her legs." Noticing Danni's curious look, he shrugged as he explained, "I come her about once every week-and-a-half or so." Giving her a half-smile, he continued, "We started talking during my third visit." His smile increased at his recollection, and Danni noticed that it was almost the 'Jacen' smile she remembered. Shaking his head, he continued, "Anyway, it still took her almost a year relearn how to walk, and another five to do so without a perceptible limp." Sighing, he looked back at Cristiana and said quietly, "I've offered to take her to Hapes to see if we can find her surgeon to say 'Thank you', but I don't think that she trusts my motives."

Danni could not help but chuckle. She had been in Cristiana's shoes before; handsome strangers offering to do things for her and it had always made her feel _awkward_. Looking back, most of the men were probably just being gentlemanly, but it was still off-putting. Shaking her head at Jacen's naïveté, "You're going about it the wrong way. Tell her that you have a friend on Hapes that would love to have Cristiana stay at her place. Together, they could try to find her surgeon."

Jacen furrowed his brow. _How does she know about Tenel Ka?_ he thought angrily, and then, just as quickly, relaxed; he had told Danni quite a bit about his friends when they were dating, it should not be a surprise that Danni would remember that his best friend growing up was the current Hapan Regent. The blonde woman, however, had caught the look. "What?" she asked, alarm etched on her face.

Jacen shrugged apologetically, trying to cover his anger. "Sorry, I had not thought of that angle." Danni only rolled her eyes as Cristiana made their way back to the table with their dinner order.

After the waitress had left, Jacen looked at Danni earnestly, "What do you make of this mess with Corellia?" He asked, taking a drink of water.

Looking at him questioningly, Danni replied with another question. "Why are you asking me? I've got to be the LEAST qualified person on this planet to offer an opinion."

"Nonsense, you are a quick study. Besides," Jacen smiled, "you are new to the problem and can look at with no bias. Plus, you are the best at getting to what the heart of the problem."

Danni allowed a small smile. Jacen had forgotten how stunning her smile was, and how quick she was to share it. "Don't think that I don't know flattery when I hear it." She retorted, shaking her head remembering all the times at school when professors and older students would tell her how smart she was as a way to ask her out on dates. Her face turned more serious. "Here is the thing: it seems both sides are just saber-rattling and posturing. No one seems to be talking."

Jacen finished taking a bite. "We've tried talking to Gejjen. Those talks have gone nowhere."

Wincing, Danni put her glass down. "Don't talk to Gejjen; the man is a thug. Find out who on his Cabinet thinks that this whole idea about seceding is a bad idea and talk to them, _quietly._" She stopped, considering. "I really have trouble believing that the general population of Corellia is too excited about secession. Once you've got someone on Corellia that you can work with, let them know that you will _assist_ them in removing Gejjen from office." She glanced around the room conspiratorially and lowered her voice. "Any coup has to be an inside job. If word gets out that it was orchestrated this from here, it will only incite the Corellians." Danni paused, and narrowed her green eyes, "Your failure at Centerpoint station should be proof enough of that."

Jacen allowed his voice to cool, "From my end, Centerpoint was a resounding success." It had been quite a long time since anyone had pointed out any errors of judgment to Jacen, and he wasn't going to allow some two-bit astronomer tell him how to run his policies.

Danni was not fazed in the least by his demeanor; she was used to being at odds with people in authority. 'Authority' had said that she was too female to be good at math; too young to get accepted into the Astrophysics Department; too inexperienced to lead a survey team to the edge of the galaxy; too human to survive the Vong's torture. No, Jacen would have to do better than just glare at her. Letting her own voice frost over a bit, she continued, "All_ you_ did was give Corellia a reason to rally around a thug. People there are scared, and scared people need some semblance of security. Centerpoint gave them that." She seemed to look through him as she took another bite. "The political opposition on Corellia would have been more apt to bargain while Centerpoint was still functional. Now, you'll have to wait until all of the dust settles."

_Guess she told you._ Jacen sighed as he conceded her point. Eliminating the immediate military threat had only increased anti-Alliance sentiment there, and the protests on Coruscant had only started after Centerpoint was damaged. As he considered the implications of Danni's argument, he noticed that she was staring intently at him. Warily, he narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"What _are_ you?" Danni asked abruptly. Jacen narrowed his eyes further. "Here you are," she said pointing at him with her fork, "head of the GAG, a _political_ position with a _military _rank, and you tried to run a _special operations_ attack at Centerpoint." She cocked her head slightly, looking quizzical. "So, I ask again, what are you? Police? Foreign Office? Military?" Danni's voice acquired more of an edge, "You need to make up your mind, because you are making a hash of trying to do all three."

Jacen was really tired of getting dressed down like this. Danni could see the flash of anger in his eyes that quickly disappeared. _You need to hear this. You _are_ making a mess of things right now_. For the first time in years, Jacen realized that he missed debating with people; he had gotten so used to keeping his own council and forgot how nice it was to have someone to talk_ to_ and bounce ideas off of. He talked to Ben, of course, but he was Ben's Master and one did not go to an apprentice for advice. Lumiya _acted_ like a friend, but Jacen was not so dumb as to not see her ulterior motives; she was using him as surely as he was using her. He hung his head, exhaling a long breath. Smirking, he looked back into her green eyes, "I see your point. I hate politics; therefore I must be one of the other two options."

Danni saw some of the legendary Solo mischief in Jacen's eyes. Chuckling to herself; "No. Your dad, your uncle, the Council, they all hate politics." She pointed at him with her fork again, "But, you are your mother's son; you see the necessity of _good_ politics." Danni's tone turned serious. "Your strength lies in thinking things through. Jacen, there _are_ good bureaucrats; be one."

Jacen gave her a quick nod. He had _always_ been called the 'thinker' of the three Solo kids. During the war, Jacen had frustrated everyone by trying to think things through while on the battlefield-it was a wonder he managed to survive. In politics, however, one _had_ to think things through otherwise it was a disaster. The Jedi Council always spoke derisively of the Senate, but politics and bureaucracy were not inherently evil; government needed competent, _thoughtful_ people to ensure the safety of all. Danni had given him a lot to think about. She looked at him thoughtfully, "Choose and act, Jacen."

Jacen tilted his head to the left and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, "Interesting choice of words." Danni merely shrugged in reply. After staring at her for a long moment, Jacen finally took her shrug to mean that he was _not_ the only one to have learned things from Vergere. As much as he would like to hear _that_ particular story, it was not important right now. "So, how would you go about removing our favorite thug from office?"

"Well, a simple criminal trial would be simplest. A person like Gejjen must have all kinds of skeletons hiding in his proverbial closet that are treasonable offences, try digging one of those up." She sighed, "The other obvious option, killing him, entails more risk. It will be hard for the assassin to escape after assassinating the leader of a planet, and it really isn't going to be easy to find a Corellian willing to stick his neck out that far. Plus, violence always begets more violence. Once that box is open, it really hard to close."

Jacen was resting his chin on his left hand while looking at her intensely. "I doubt that Master Skywalker would approve of your methods."

Danni rolled her eyes as she replied, "Skywalker has lost sight of the forest for the trees. He has concerned himself with what the Order should _not_ do rather than what it _should_ be doing."

"You'll have to explain that." Jacen stated, wanting to hear what she was getting at. "He has sacrificed a great deal for the galaxy."

Danni shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Look, no one has done more for this government than Luke Skywalker. But, what is the first thing that Skywalker taught you after you built your lightsaber?" She caught Jacen's guilty look. She rolled her eyes and gave him a big smile, "Besides not cutting off your best friends arm, I mean." Jacen chuckled as he hung his head for a second, realizing that he would always feel guilty about what had happened to Tenel Ka. When he brought his gaze back up to her, she continued. "His first lesson was 'if you have to use this, than you've already lost', right?" Jacen grimaced and nodded once. "By not jumping in early, by not really trying to negotiate with the Corellians, he's removed that from the equation. By delaying, the Order and the GFFA are now in a situation where you _had _to use force. I find that unacceptable."

Danni always had a way of making Jacen look at things in a new light. He was going to have to think about this for a while. "You mentioned that Master Skywalker was too worried about what the Jedi should _not_ be."

Danni took the slight change in topic in stride. She knew that she had made Jacen uncomfortable and that he needed time to think about what she had said. "He is still obsessed with keeping all of the Jedi on the straight-and-narrow." She took another bite of pasta, but grimaced. They had spent so much time talking that dinner had gotten cold. "He treats the Dark-side as a precipice, but even Vader didn't just fall off the cliff. There were signs leading to his fall, if only the Council would have paid attention." _That is why I am here: to stop _your_ slide. _Danni took a sip of water to wash the cold pasta taste out of her mouth, and to cover her thoughts.

Jacen chuckled humorlessly, "Oh, I know all about that. I've gotten that speech a few times already." Danni looked at him with alarm as he continued. "I learned a few things on my sojourn that the Council does not approve of."

"Such as…."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it." He reached across and gave her left hand a squeeze, "But first, let's get out of here. My steak has gone cold…" as he gestured around the room Danni noticed that they were the last customers in the restaurant and that the staff was waiting pointedly by the kitchen door. "…and I think that they closed about 10 minutes ago." He glanced down at his mostly uneaten steak, and noticed that Danni had only picked at her pasta. "I'm actually still hungry, and I know this great 24-hour burger joint about five blocks from here." Jacen gave her a wink and helped her out of her chair. After paying for dinner, making sure to leave a sizable tip, the two of them walked to the door, still holding hands.

O O(_)O O

Danni glanced at Jacen and smirked around a bite of cheeseburger as they left the walk-up burger place and started strolling in the general direction of her hotel. _Leave it to a cop to know where all of the good 24-hour joints are._ "Okay, tell me about what you learned while on your walk-about."

Jacen almost choked on his chilidog; over the intervening years he had forgotten about Danni's single-mindedness. Regaining his composure, "I learned how to flow-walk from the Ang-tii, and Uncle Luke is... _apprehensive_ about the technique." Jacen emphasized the word, trying to intone the seriousness of the arguments that he and his uncle had had on the topic. Looked out of the corner of his eye, he could see her confusion and explained further, "It's a time travel technique, but it only pertains to a specific location." Danni looked at him sideways, still not quite understanding. Stopping at the bench that they happened to be passing, he put their drink down and tried to explain further. "We attach ourselves to this bench," he said, placing his free hand on the back of the bench, "and, using the Force, we can move along a time-line at this location."

Danni nodded, finally understanding the basics of the technique. "Ah. It's a bit like slide-along apparition, then." Seeing Jacen's perplexed look, she shook her head. "Never mind. So you can see backwards or forwards in time? Our physical self stays anchored in the here and now?"

Jacen nodded as he picked up their drink, enjoying her analytical approach, and the two of them started walking again. "Correct."

Danni contemplated this while she took another bite of her burger. She gave him a curious look as she swallowed, "I've never been sold on the idea of 'time travel', but I fail to see why Master Skywalker is so adamantly opposed."

Colonel Solo shrugged as he took a drink. "I guess that it comes down to being able to fix someone's future. If we travel forward to tomorrow and see my mother, for example, passing by this spot, we have essentially fixed her future." He shrugged again, "At least that is Uncle Luke's position." He tried to sound nonchalant, but Danni could hear the uncertainty in his voice; it was as if part of him was afraid of this ability.

The scientist frowned as she pondered this for a moment, taking another bite. "I disagree; it only fixes her future if we could physically pass something to her. Otherwise, it's harmless."

Jacen gave her a peculiar look. He _wanted_ to believe her argument, but was still troubled; part of him still thought that perhaps Luke was right: perhaps he _did_ fix his mother's future that day.

Shaking her head as she took another bite, the blonde woman tried to explain further, "Look, everything is relative. From Leia's point of view, she would be looking into the past at something that has already happened: us being here." Jacen nodded, seeing where she was going with her explanation. "Her walking by this spot was only happenstance." She grabbed the cup from his hand to take a drink. Handing it back, she continued, "It's not that different from a Force vision, really. If you have a vision of your mother at this spot tomorrow, that doesn't fix her future. I don't see how this 'flow-walk' technique is any different."

Jacen stopped as he looked at his friend, a sense of relief obvious on his face. For years he had wrestled with his ability to flow-walk; at the time, it seemed like just another tool, but many of the older Jedi had made him feel _dirty _for knowing such an arcane skill. Danni was the first person to back his position, the first to seem interested in such a skill. Without even trying, she told him that there was nothing inherently wrong with what he could do.

Seeing her confused look as she stopped a couple of paces ahead, Jacen chuckled absently and started walking again. "I'd never thought of it from that angle. I wish that you had been present at my last run-in with the Council."

Danni's green eyes narrowed slightly as she gave him a curious look. "Can you teach this technique?"

He offered her a sly smile. "I can try. Would you like to learn it?"

Danni smirked in response, "I can try." She took a bite and snorted as a pickle squirted out and dropped to the ground. Shaking her head, she continued talking as she chewed. "So what else is Skywalker opposed to?"

After trying, and failing, to scare the green-eyed woman away that morning, he decided that she could handle the truth that he was operating in a rather grey area. Taking a deep breath, he answered. "I used something I learned to cover part of Ben's memory."

Danni stopped abruptly, clearly horrified. "You did _what_?"

Jacen's shoulders slumped; "We were on…" he stopped, not wanting to admit that he was on Hapes. "…It doesn't matter where. Anyway, we saw some things that I didn't think a kid should see. So, I took him somewhere else and placed those memories over the top of the ones that he had." He saw the scowl on her face and continued, "Then, I replaced _those_ memories with memories of a third location."

Anger clouded her lovely face. "Why did you do that?" She held up her hand, stopping his explanation. "Don't tell me that it was to protect Ben, I am not that dumb. You saw all kinds of nasty stuff as a kid, so it's not that." She continued to glare at him and snapped her fingers as the answer came to her. "You are hiding something from the Skywalkers."

His mouth full of the last chilidog bite, Jacen could only nod sadly as she continued, "Look, I understand wanting to keep secrets…"Danni shook her head, "But Jacen, that's _dangerous._ Didn't Durron wipe out some engineer's memory?" His grimace was the only answer she needed. "If you didn't want him to know, you shouldn't have let him see."

"He wasn't _supposed_ to see us, I left him with…" Far too late, he realized that he had let his emotion get the best of him. Danni had goaded him; perhaps not on purpose, but she had nonetheless. Her earnestness had goaded him into almost revealing something that even torture could not have gotten him to disclose. He looked away, disgusted with himself-he really should know better; polite interrogation is always the hardest to counteract.

She ran the back of her right hand down his arm affectionately. "Look, you don't have to tell me; I just want you to know that your secret would be safe with me."

Jacen nodded, knowing she meant every word. "It's too important. I have to keep it to myself." He saw that she accepted him at his word. "As for Ben; it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Danni squinted her eyes and poked him in the chest angrily. "You know that I'm not going to buy that. You knew it was wrong." She paused, an inquisitive look on her face. "Why are you telling me this? Do you plan on rubbing my memory too?"

The brown-haired man stopped short, horrified at her accusation. Unfortunately, he realized that her fear was not unfounded; he had already done awful things. His voice melancholy, he answered her question, "No, I won't rub your memory. As to why: I feel that you should know. You are the only person I know who has perspective." He turned to look at her, his tone almost pleading, "Maybe it's because…" he paused, not knowing how to continue. "…maybe it's because I need someone to know just how…._broken_…I am."

Danni took his hand, her green eyes searching his face and smiled warmly. "Everybody is fixable, Jacen." Squeezing his hand, she added softly, "Even you."

Jacen squeezed her hand in return and they continued to hold hands as she steered them toward her hotel.

Turning a corner, Jacen finally saw where she had been taking them, and whistled appreciatively. "The _Intergalactic_?" Danni's hotel, the _L'Hotel Intergalactic_, was billed as Coruscant's only six-star hotel. Completed only the year prior, it boasted it's own orbital shuttle so that it's clients could leave their ships in orbit and not have to be bothered with the drudgeries of dealing with the Coruscanti spaceports and could clear customs at the same time they checked into their suite. Running his eyes skyward, Jacen took in the hotels design, his mind finally understanding that it really _was _a fantastic piece of architecture—built in the shape of sailboat. Shaking his head at the elegant design, he found himself doubting that any of the guests had ever _seen_ a sailboat, let alone actually been on one. Oddly, Coruscant never had any appreciable bodies of water to sail on, but for whatever reason, the sea always had an allure on people. He looked at her mischievously, "I was unaware research scientists were paid so well."

"It pays to study hard." The scientist in question answered drily, bonking into him with her left shoulder.

The GAG Colonel was unable to stop his laugh, and Danni saw that even his eyes sparkled a bit. Shaking his head, he replied, "That it does."

Pleased with herself for being able to ditch the 'GAG Jacen', even if it was only for a moment, she explained why she was staying at the most expensive hotel on Coruscant. "There was nothing to buy on Zonoma, so I've got the bulk of ten years worth of salary sitting in my accounts." Winking, she continued, "I figured I might as well splurge for a bit."

Jacen cocked his head to one side, mirth still evident in his eyes, "You've certainly deserved it." His face became serious, and he pulled her closer. "Thank you, Danni. Thank you for…making me laugh." Later, he would reflect that he did not _mean_ to kiss Danni: he had meant to only give her a kiss on the cheek. Apparently, she meant to give him one on his cheek at the same, and their lips suddenly met. Surprised, they pulled apart briefly, and then the weight of ten years caught up with them. They both leaned into each other and their lips met again; after several long moments, Danni broke off, her eyes searching his questioningly.

Jacen noticed that she was breathing faster and he wrinkled his eyebrows slightly, his expression saying: _Do _you_ want to?_ Danni's only offered a slight smirk as she pulled him closer, resuming their kiss. After several more moments, Danni again broke off and tugged on his hand, leading him through the door into the _L'Hotel Intergalactic_.

In the interest of decorum, they were both in their thirties, after all, and he was a rather public figure, the two of them managed to only hold hands as they made their way through the lobby and for the duration of their ride in the glass turbolift to the eighty-first floor. Once out of the elevator, things got a bit more interesting. Jacen walked behind her, his arms around her, nibbling on her neck and ear as they awkwardly made it down the hallway to her suite. Fumbling the keycard out of her small purse, Danni managed to get the door open and the two of them stumbled into the room.

Danni quickly turned and growled as she launched herself at him, the door slamming closed as the two of them crashed into it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that she was acting like a horny teenager, but she did not really care. It had been so long, that she practically _was_ a horny teenager. A decade of _want_ was coursing through Danni, and she was reveling in the feel and taste of Jacen Solo. Breaking her assault, she backed a step and made a show of unzipping her grey skirt, letting it fall to the floor. Grabbing his hands, she pulled them to her blouse and he began unbuttoning the white, silk blouse as he leaned forward and continued to kiss her neck, sinking to his knees as he followed his hands downwards undoing the buttons. Once finished, her blouse ended up on the floor, pooled next to her skirt. Slowly, he started back up her delectable body, kissing her stomach and breasts as he did.

Mewing softly, she pulled him into the bedroom, pulling his shirt out of his pants as she did. Quickly, she started to unbutton his shirt, trailing her kisses down his chest. With a gasp, she stopped when she reached his first scar. Backing a step, she continued to look at his muscled chest and started to trace his many scars with her fingers, horrified at what she saw: Danni had forgotten what the Vong had done to him.

In the pale glow of Coruscant's lights flooding through the window, Jacen swallowed hard as he watched Danni trace her fingers over his body, he wanted her in the worst way; it had been _ages_ since he had...

Unbidden, memories of his capture came flooding back. Memories of the Embrace of Pain, memories of his unimaginable suffering, memories of Vergere, memories of amphistaffs, memories of fellow prisoners, but, most of all, memories of Tenel Ka. Memories of the red-haired princess had kept him sane during his torture. He could not do this to her, not without knowing where they stood. He knew that their relationship was on the rocks, but he loved her too much to cheat on her. It would not be fair to her, and it would not be fair to Danni. If he and Tenel Ka were truly over, he might be interested in starting again with Danni, but he would not use her as a one-night stand; he respected and liked her too much to do that.

Danni leaned forward again to kiss him again and he gently put his hand out to stop her. Understanding and disappointment showed in her green eyes as she chuckled mirthlessly. "I've ruined the mood, haven't I?"

Jacen shrugged slightly and pulled one of her hands to his lips, giving it a kiss. He wanted her to know that he still thought very highly of her and that none of this was her fault. Softly, he tried to explain, "I should be…"

Desperately, she interrupted, "Please stay." Her eyes were pleading, "I won't ask you to do anything, but…it's been so long. I just…" she looked down, embarrassed. She was thirty-five years old for crying out loud, she should not be acting like a lovesick adolescent. Whispering, "…I just would like to sleep next to someone for a night." She let out a deep breath, trying to fight tears. "I'm broken, too."

Jacen knew how she felt. Ever since returning from his self-imposed exile, he had been alone. The woman he loved was as inaccessible now as she was when he was being held captive, his daughter did not know his true identity, his uncle and former mentor only trusted him about as far as he could Force-shove a Star Destroyer, and his sister refused to have anything to do with him. In fairness, part of it, maybe even most of it, was his fault, and that only made it worse. He was still convinced that he was doing the right thing, but the emptiness surrounding him was tough to bear. Yes, he understood Danni's loneliness all to well. Smiling warmly at the blonde woman in front of him, he removed his shirt and wrapped it around her thin frame, buttoning the middle couple of buttons. He repeated her words from earlier, "Everyone is fixable, Danni."

A smile crossed her face, both at his words and at his gesture of giving her his shirt. Her smile turned evil, however, as she backed up a couple of steps and did the one thing guaranteed to drive him wild: she unhooked her sexy white bra under the shirt, pulled it out through one of the arms, and made a show of dropping it to the floor.

Jacen rolled his eyes and chuckled at her playful flirtation. "You know that drives guys nuts, right?"

Waggling her eyebrows, she used her best sultry voice. "I know." She took a step closer and gave him a hug, resting her head on his chest. "I've missed you, Jacen."

* * *

A/N: One: Centerpoint-Like I had Danni point-out, the Station was _not_ operational, and I doubt that Sal-Solo was going to be able to make it that way. But, the galaxy as a whole _thought_ he could, so it made it a great bargaining chip for the Corellians use. On the off chance that he could have made it work, what was Sal-Solo going to do with it? Wipe out everyone that opposed him? If he used it once, he was a dead-man walking, and he knew it. I liken Centerpoint as the SW equivalent of our nuclear weapons stockpiles. Furthermore, I am ignoring the 'Abeloth' question of Centerpoint. We didn't know anything about her when LotF was being written, and frankly, from what I've seen, FotJ reads like a bad fanfic: 'We haven't ruined Jacen Solo enough; we'll retcon his trip.' Feel free to comment on my decision; I'll gladly debate this point.

Two: I don't think Ailyn Vel was actually arrested because she planted the bomb that almost killed Jacen and Niathal, but for the sake of story-telling I changed her role; she was still an unsavory character and was _far_ from the innocent person some on TF.N would like us to believe.

Three: This chapter was actually the second one I had written for this story, and I had intended it to go in an entirely different direction between Jacen and Danni, but, in the end, I just couldn't go through with it. IMO, Jacen and Tenel Ka have an established relationship in LotF, even if it is…strained. _My_ Jacen wouldn't cheat on her, nor do I think Danni would have stayed with Jacen once she found out.

Thanks for reading! Review if you feel the urge.


	10. Chapter 10--Times, They are A-Changin'

**Chapter 10—The Times, they are A-Changin'**

A/N: I don't know how many of you have seen Chariots of Fire, but this chapter will have flashback within an already established flashback. Let me know if it is too confusing. As always, thanks for everyone who is reading and a special thanks to my reviewers (you know who you are!)

* * *

Forty-five days before Jacen wakes up in the buff surrounded by ysalamiri...

A small, contented sigh woke Jacen early the next morning. Becoming aware of his surroundings again, he grimaced at his predicament: his right arm was around Danni, her back to him. By itself, that was not much of a problem; the problem lied more with the fact that his arm was resting mostly _under_ her shirt, (okay, his shirt) his hand cupping her left breast. Chagrined, he really did not want to think about what his hand had been doing before we awoke; Danni's sigh was more evidence than he really needed. As he gingerly removed his hand and arm, he realized the odds of Tenel Ka understanding any of this was dropping precipitously; he doubted that telling her that he slept with his pants on would win many brownie points. Moving carefully, he rolled out of bed, slowly moved to his feet, and quietly left the room, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the entire situation: the odds of finding another man on Coruscant that would feel bad for him about his current problem were pretty low indeed. Valin Horn, for one, would never believe him. _You woke up next to a beautiful, and clearly willing, blonde, and you _left_?_

Since he was a little preoccupied last night to get much of a look, he wandered around her small suite. It contained two bedrooms, a small kitchen area, a breakfast nook, and a rather large living room complete with a balcony overlooking the Senate Building. Shaking his head, Jacen reflected that he probably did not want to know how much Danni was being charged per night for the room. Shrugging, he moved into the kitchen with the intent of making something for breakfast. However, he discovered the cabinets were full of nothing but air. _Room service, it is_.

O O(_)O O

Danni awoke when she heard a quiet 'thump' and let out a small sigh. _It had been such a pleasant dream, too; what with Jacen's hands roving all over… _Shaking her head, she rolled over and saw that he had already left. As she allowed a snort of disappointment that he had not even bothered to say 'goodbye,' she had a rather depressing thought-_My only one-night stand, and I didn't even get naked._ Chuckling humorlessly, she got up and made her way into living quarters only to see Jacen placing two plates of yummy-looking pancakes and eggs on the table.

Jacen, still wearing only his dress pants from the night prior, saw her out of the corner of his eye and shot her a quick smile as he continued to set the table. "Good morning!" He chirped, "I meant to cook, but you didn't have any supplies." His smile got a tad larger when he saw her apologetic shrug. Continuing to set the table, he looked down again, "So-o-o, I ordered some breakfast from room service. I'll give you some credits for the bill."

He was perplexed about her lack of response, and looked up to find her staring at him, confusion showing on her pretty face. Jacen nodded once in understanding. "You thought I'd left." Danni simply shrugged in response. Jacen smiled again, and she saw that his eyes showed some of their previous sparkle. "I figured that since I'm already late for work, I might as well have breakfast with a half-dressed knockout." Danni couldn't help but laugh at his flirtatiousness. "Besides, you're wearing my shirt." She raised an eyebrow suggestively and made a show of undoing one of the buttons. Jacen laughed and walked over to her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "No, no. I'll wait." Gallantly, he pulled out one of the chairs and slid it forward as she sat.

As he made his way around the table, Danni voiced what had been on her mind since last night: "There is someone else." Part of her did not want to know; it allowed her to hold out hope that the two of them could start again.

Jacen let out a deep sigh as he sat down, noticing that it was not a question. Yesterday he decided that he would tell nothing but the truth to Danni Quee, so he might as well continue. Looking at her, he answered softly. "It's complicated." He paused, taking a deep breath. As he did, she remembered that Sekot had used the same phrase when talking about him on that night she had her last vision. His voice broke her from her reverie as he was continuing, "I hardly ever see her, and we've become…estranged lately." The pain and frustration in his voice was tangible. "We rarely _talk_ anymore, and I cannot remember the last time we…" He stopped, shaking his head. He really should not burden Danni with his relationship problems; he and her had only been reacquainted for a day, after all. His brandy eyes searched her emerald one's imploringly, "I like you, Danni; I've thought about you often, but I do not wish to lead you on." Jacen looked down at the table, "Her and I need to figure out where we stand."

Looking again into her eyes intently, he tried to apologize, "I'm sorry about what happened last night." Seeing the hurt look on her face he instantly regretted his phraseology. Grimacing, he tried again, "Not about staying the night, but about…" Again, he stopped.

Danni offered him a sad smile; she understood what he was getting at. Reaching across the table, she gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. "It's okay. You're a better man than most. Most would not have been able to stop themselves with someone throwing herself at him." She was embarrassed at last night's display; her mother would have been ashamed of her wanton behavior.

Jacen shook his head slightly as he gazed at the blonde woman, her thoughts clearly visible on her face, and chided gently, "Don't think like that." It was his turn to squeeze her hand; "You've been alone for a very long time. Trust me, I understand what that is like." He stopped, and gave her a mischievous smile; "I think that I about wore you out our first night together."

For the second time that morning, Danni could not help but laugh; Jacen always did have a knack for making people feel better. Unbidden, a memory of her vision popped into her mind, and she realized that she still needed to save Jacen Solo, perhaps from himself-maybe it was time to start. "Do you still love her?"

Jacen let out a deep breath as he nodded. "I do."

Danni smiled, "Good. Now all you have to do is make sure that she knows that."

The GAG Colonel tilted his head and looked at her strangely, "She knows." Wincing at the glare that Danni shot his way, he reconsidered his words. "Okay, I'll do better."

The astrophysicist nodded as she took a bite of her pancakes, "See that you do."

O O(_)O O

Leaving Danni's hotel, Jacen's first thought was to head to his flat to change. Heading towards the taxi stand, he abruptly changed his mind and turned around, garnering a strange look from the hotel's doorman. Giving the young man an embarrassed shrug, Jacen started to walk the seven-blocks or so to the Senate Administration building.

As he walked, he could not get Lumiya's words out of his head. _She'd make a fine apprentice._ He agreed yesterday more to get Lumiya to shut up than anything. But now, as he walked, he found himself agreeing with the sentiment. True, Danni was fairly untrained, having been taught only what her and Tahiri could find time to cover, but she _was_ strong in the Force. There was no question that Ben had more natural talent, but Danni knew what her limitations were and, therefore, would not try to do too much, or risk anyone unnecessarily. Additionally, she would not defer to him constantly the way that Ben did, and she was unafraid of challenging his views. Furthermore, Jacen did not really want an apprentice _per se_, but more of a compatriot and confidante, and Danni fit the bill perfectly. What she may lack in outright Force skills, she more than made up with intelligence and creativity. Additionally, she had lived with constructive criticism all of her life, so he would not have to boost her ego all the time.

Jacen realized, however, that he would have to change his teaching approach when he became her Master; he had been cleverly misleading Ben as to what his goal was for the boy. Danni was not nearly as naïve and _way _too intelligent for such a tactic. From their conversation last night, it was clear that she was open to different ideas, but he would need to be forthright about his expectations. He nodded to himself; his mind made up. Unfortunately, before he could recruit Danni Quee to be his apprentice, he first needed to extricate himself from the one that he currently had.

Frowning, Jacen stopped dead on the sidewalk, earning a dirty look from the Ithorian who almost ran into him. He owed it to Ben to tell him now; but he reflected that it would probably be best to tell Mara first and then tell Ben. Jacen knew from experience that it was best not to surprise Mara Jade, and this would give her a chance to process the information before Ben came to her. Thus decided, Jacen changed direction for a second time that morning, earning another look from a couple of fellow pedestrians. As he headed for the Temple, he pulled out his comlink to let Marné know that he was going to be even later than he originally thought.

Pressing his ID badge against the card scanner at the south entrance to the Temple, he wondered absently if Mace Windu or Barris Offee ever had to carry a holographic Jedi ID badge. Yoda's voice popped into his head:_ ID Badge? Heh, a Jedi carries not these things._ Chuckling to himself as the status-indicator blinked green, he heard the door unlock with an audible 'click' and pulled it open. As he continued to chuckle at his bad Yoda impersonation, he paused to take a better look at the Temple's security system, thinking that he was glad that they had installed the system when the new Temple was constructed; otherwise, the Council would have found a way to blame him as to why they were needed.

Due to the relatively early hour, the Temple was still fairly quiet, for which he was thankful. He was already bracing himself for the upcoming 'conversation' with his aunt, and was not really in the mood for…

"Hi Jacen!" Came a cheery voice from behind him.

_Damn_. He turned to locate the source of the obnoxiously cheery voice and saw a grinning Jysella Horn rushing his way from across the atrium, her brown ponytail waving hypnotically behind her. Chagrined, he forced a smile onto his face and did his best to equal her chipper-ness. "Hi 'Sella!" It was not that he did not like Jysella Horn; he did-she was smart, funny, immensely talented, and amazingly (some would say annoyingly) upbeat. On any other day, he would have asked her to join him for a cup of caf, and they would have talked for an hour or two. When she got within a few paces, she opened her arms and proceeded to envelop Jacen in an enthusiastic hug as he tried, and failed, to match her enthusiasm.

The youngest Horn noticed his decided lack of affection. Scowling, she pulled back from their embrace. "What's wrong?"

Jacen was tempted to give her a flippant answer about it being 'Jedi business', but stopped; she was too caring to simply brush off. Exhaling loudly, he answered. "Ben." Jysella gasped, her eyes wide in shock, and covered her mouth with both hands. Jacen quickly shook his head; he had forgotten that Jysella was prone to overreaction, and explained further, his tone apologetic, "No, no. Nothing bad." He rolled his eyes at his brusqueness, "I didn't mean to give you a scare."

She narrowed her brown eyes and whacked him across the shoulder playfully, "Then…what?"

He sighed again, "I'm going to ask my Aunt that he be assigned to a different Master."

Jysella's voice became concerned, "Why?"

Jacen's eyes followed a couple of students as they left the turbolift behind him and made their way across the atrium. "My aunt and uncle don't trust me." He sighed quietly, "They haven't trusted me in years."

Jysella could only nod sadly. As much as the Council tried to act like nothing was amiss, it was clear that almost all of the Masters, except for maybe Leia, had lost faith in Jacen Solo. Recognizing his hurt tone, she understood more than most that he wanted the respect of the Council more than anything else. Taking his hand, she said softly, "I'm sorry." Jacen gave her a small shrug as he turned his gaze back to her.

"A lot of us still do, though." Most of her generation of Jedi still admired their former teacher, both for what he had accomplished and for the fact that he was not afraid of being their friend as well as their teacher. Jacen thought the model of being the 'stern taskmaster' was detrimental to teaching Jedi, and most who took his classes appreciated it. Even Valin respected Jacen Solo, and the two of them did _not_ get along.

"Thanks 'Sella. That means quite a bit." He smiled as he gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it. He knew that she was probably speaking only for herself, but it was good to know that someone at the Temple still trusted him. He tilted his head fractionally as a memory came to him. "The MCAT results came out last week didn't they? How'd you do?"

As she grinned in response, it occurred to him that Jysella Horn had one of the galaxy's best smiles. "I scored a 39S."

Jacen's eyes widened in surprise and he gave her another quick hug, this time with genuine affection. "That's fantastic!" He could not have been any more impressed; the average score for the Medical College Admission Test is 25P, and she handily beat that score. Her score, combined with her 3.91 GPA in Chemistry from the Imperial College of Coruscant would pretty much guarantee her admission to Hapes' Royal College of Medicine, probably the toughest medical school in the galaxy to get into; the Royal College will not even consider anyone as an applicant with less than a 35R, no matter how well connected one might be.

Jacen could not help but notice the feeling of frustration that Jysella was trying to hide. His smile faded as he asked, "The Council is still sitting on your sabbatical request?"

Despair filled her brown eyes as she gave a small nod. "Dad only thinks that he has a one vote majority, and he trying to garner more support before bringing it up for a vote." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "He wants an overwhelming majority behind us because he thinks that some of the other Masters will bow to the Grand Master's wishes."

Jacen winced, feeling the young woman's hopelessness. "I'm sure Mirax is irate." He quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

She smirked, appreciating Jacen's effort to find humor in the situation. Raising an eyebrow, "And my grandfather. Grand Master Skywalker is lucky that the _Venture_ is at Bilbringi having some repairs done."

Jacen snorted as he shook his head. "Booster and my father really need to bite the bullet and get new ships." Both he and Jysella knew that there was no chance in that; the two men were likely to die in their respective ships. Taking Jysella's hand, Jacen's continued, "Since I'm already going to see my aunt and uncle, I'll bring it up, _again_."

The pretty brunette shook her head, "Thanks, Jacen; but this isn't you fight."

He smiled sadly, "Yeah…it is." His thoughts returned to that day in his Emergency Medical Training Class five years previous….

O O(_)O O

After the Killik Crisis, Jacen had been offered a teaching position at the Jedi Academy by Master Skywalker. Not wanting to offend his uncle, and not having any other immediate prospects, Jacen accepted. In doing so, he was under no illusions why he was offered the position: ostensibly it was because the Council thought he could be a great influence to the new students, but Jacen was smart enough to know that it was mostly because his uncle wanted to keep in eye on the prodigal Jedi. Even so, he _had_ been looking forward to passing on some of the knowledge he had gained on his travels, especially in the area of combat first aid.

Among other things, the war with the Yuuzhan Vong had pointed out the inadequacies of the simple 'Jedi healing trance'-it just did not do enough when confronted with severe trauma. His own brother's injuries above Myrkr where proof enough of that: the traditional approaches to healing took more time than the strike team could afford, and Anakin had died as a result. To be sure, even a totally healthy Anakin Solo probably still would have died in that mêlée, but Jacen owed it to his brother to ensure that future Jedi had the best training available.

It is against that backdrop that Jacen Solo started teaching both Basic and Combat First Aid. Only after several long discussions with Kyp Durron did Jacen agree to also teach Advanced Lightsaber Skills.

When Jysella Horn found out that Jacen Solo was back from his wanderings and was going to start teaching at the Academy, she made sure that she was one of the first to sign up for his Combat First Aid Class. When asked by her friends, she said it was because Jacen's empathetic skills were legendary, and she wanted to see it first hand; the fact he was incredibly cute had _nothing _to do with her signing up and she maintained that she was thinking about become a healer. Which was not _much_ of a lie; she had considered it…once.

One course became two, and two became three. It turned out that Jysella rather liked the EMT classes, and she would have taken the additional classes even if Jacen had _not_ been the instructor-at least that is what she told her friends.

"Ms. Horn, can you stay after for a moment?" Jacen had asked her at the end of class one day.

"Busted!" her friend, Tipania, whispered playfully, as she got up to file out of the room with the rest of the class.

"You shush." Jysella hissed back at her green-skinned Twi'lek friend, earning an evil-looking grin as a reply. After packing up her things, she made her way to the front of the room where Jacen was busy erasing the white dry-erase board. "Yes, Instructor Solo?" He turned his head and gave her a mock glare before returning his attention back to the board. With a wry smile, Jysella shook her head at Jacen's peculiar teaching style: he always referred to his students 'Ms. Horn' or 'Mr. Spaatz', but he insisted that they call him 'Jacen'. "In my class," he had told them on the first day, "you are far more important than I."

Chagrined, she tried again, "Yes, Jacen?"

He turned his head again and gave her a sly grin. Finishing his erasing of the board, he turned and smiled warmly at his best student, leaning back against the board. "Ms. Horn, you have quite a talent for this sort of thing." The young woman did her best not to beam _too_ much at the praise. "Have you given any consideration to being a physician?"

The brunette frowned at his wording; he had said 'physician', not 'healer'. Scowling slightly, she answered carefully, "Not really." She smirked, "Although, to be fair, I haven't given much thought at being anything."

Jacen shook his head, smiling. _Ah, to be eighteen_. "Think about it; do some research about the medical field. I think that you would be well-suited to become a doctor." Jysella felt herself blush, knowing that Jacen never praised for the sake of it. "A warning though, it won't be easy." He smiled when he saw the gleam of excitement in the young woman's eye; the Horn's, much like the Solo's, liked nothing better than to take on a challenge.

After a couple of weeks, Jacen assumed that Jysella had decided against the idea and was just too polite to tell him and could not really blame the young woman; it was going to be a _lot _of work on her part and there was no guarantee the Council would even approve for her to attend medical school once she completed her required courses at Imperial College. It was a surprise, then, when the brunette approached him one day after class. "Instructor Solo?" He shot her a look as he continued to put the training mannequin away. Rolling her brown eyes, "Jacen? Have you got a minute?"

Smiling wryly, he closed the mannequin case, "Shoot."

Jysella shifted nervously from foot to foot. "I know that _you_ know that I am NOT the best student in my year." Jacen nodded. "In fact, I am not even the best student in this class." Jacen smirked slightly; this was also true, grade-wise, but not by much. Jysella Horn ranked number two in his class. She wrinkled her freckled nose, trying to decide what to say. "I guess what I am trying to get at is: Why me?" Jacen smiled warmly in response and Jysella's heart skipped a beat as she found herself wondering why Tenel Ka or Danni Quee would ever let someone with _that_ smile out of her sight.

Instead of answering her question, he asked a different one instead. "Do you have time for lunch?" Jysella nodded, clearly confused by his question. "Good. I'll explain over lunch. My treat."

She assumed him to mean lunch in the Temple cafeteria, instead she found herself in a small pizzeria closer to the Senate Rotunda. After they had ordered, he offered a small smirk, "Now where were we? Ah yes…why you?" She narrowed her brown eyes as he paused theatrically. "Three reasons:" He started ticking off the fingers on his left hand, "One: Despite your actual standing in your year, you ARE the brightest kid in your class." Jysella grimaced at the comment; she could hear her father in her head. '_Sella, you are so much smarter than everyone else; why don't your grades reflect it?_ Jacen continued, "Two: your biggest strength is that you know what you don't know. A _very_ handy trait to have in medicine." He stared at her earnestly, "And three: you are not afraid of Luke Skywalker."

Sensing her confusion, he leaned forward and explained further. "Getting into Imperial College will be easy: your grades are good enough, and as an instructor at the Academy I have the authority to grant permission for you to take college classes." She nodded, but still did not see what this had to do with Master Skywalker. Jacen continued, oblivious to her not understanding where he was going with this train of thought. "I've already talked to the Dean of the Chemistry Department, and he is willing to work with us on deciding what classes you'll need and what they can give you college credit for from your both work at the Academy and experience in the field."

Jacen finally noticed her skeptical look and grimaced. "I've lost you, haven't I?" The young woman only shrugged. "Here is where Master Skywalker comes into play: I cannot grant permission for you to go to medical school. Med school will require you to take a sabbatical from the Jedi Order, and only the Council can grant one."

Her eyes widened in surprise when he took her hand in both of his, "You are the only one of my students that won't take 'no' for an answer from Luke Skywalker. He is not going to let us just march in and ask the Council for an up or down vote. We…" he rolled his eyes, "…_I_ am going to have to lobby and lobby pretty hard."

Jysella yanked her hand from his, angry with herself. Jacen was only using her as a way to get the Council to listen to his ideas-she should have known that this 'new-and-improved' Jacen Solo always had an ulterior motive. Letting her voice rise, "So...I'm just a test case for you? A trial balloon to see what you can get away with?"

To her surprise, he nodded. "Partially." Her look softened as she remembered that, as an instructor, he was never one to try to shield his students from the realities of life. Jacen shook his head, "I was not lying when I told you my reasons. Of all the students at the Academy, you stand the best chance of succeeding at this." He took her hand again, "I think that Jedi should be able to follow the Force wherever it may lead them, even if it is not inside the Temple." They both leaned back as the waiter brought their pizza and placed it in the middle of the table.

As he nodded 'thanks' to the waiter, Ms. Horn caught the flash of pain in his eyes realized why Jacen was her favorite teacher: he was just as much an outsider as the students were. The Jedi Council looked at him with the same disinterest, maybe even outright disdain, as the students-it was no wonder why most of the students liked Jacen so much; he was a kindred spirit.

As he served her a piece of the thick crust pizza, he looked at her earnestly, "Think about it some more; talk to your parents about it." He winced at his wording; he had heard the rumors that she and her father had not been getting along recently. He pressed on, "Meditate on it. I only want you to do this if you really believe that it is the path for you." Giving her a small smile, "But don't think _too_ long, the deadline to apply for admission for the next term at IC is in four weeks."

His best student gave a small chuckle and they spent the remainder of lunch talking about the recent goings on of the Academy.

Jysella _did_ think about it, she spend time meditating about it, she even talked to Mirax about it. The more she did these things, the more she became convinced that her future lie in the medicine. Jacen met with her and Mirax over dinner one day and he explained the plan to her mother: Yes, he told Mirax, Jysella was a test of sorts, but he believed that it to be the path for her. Mirax and Jysella talked to Corran, and after meditating about the issue even he became convinced that his daughter was meant to be a doctor.

So, with little fanfare, Jysella Horn became the first of the storied Halcyon-Horn or Terrik lines to ever attend college. Booster Terrik, for one, could not have been more proud. His 'college girl', as he affectionately called his granddaughter, was fulfilling his lifelong dream of bringing respectability to the family name.

In all honesty, attending school full-time, while also being an active Jedi, was _much _tougher than she ever imagined, and she had absolutely _no_ social life, but she was determined to make her grandfather proud. At her graduation, she could have sworn that she saw a tear in the old man's eyes as she walked across the stage to accept her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry diploma.

And how did the Jedi Council reward all of her hard work? "I'm sorry, Knight Horn, but we cannot spare you at this time. Your skills as one of the Order's only fully-trained EMTs is too valuable to grant you a sabbatical at this time." Master Skywalker had told her, smiling benevolently as her heart broke into a billion pieces. "Perhaps next year."

Jysella managed to keep the tears at bay long enough to make it home, where she promptly broke down as soon as she opened the door. Mirax said nothing as they stood in the doorway, letting her daughter cry herself out while she stroked Jysella's hair.

About thirty minutes later, Jacen and Valin arrived, pizza and beer in hand, the pizza being from the same place where this whole journey had started. Mirax smiled and led them out to the patio where the four of them could watch the sunset, nodding a 'thank you' to Jacen as he went to get some plates. When he returned, he caught Mirax's eye, "Corran will be home in a bit; he needed to calm down first."

Valin gave Jacen an icy glare over Mirax's head as she dished out the pizza. His little sister was distraught, and it was all because of Jacen Solo. "So, now what Solo?" He asked, his voice full of disdain for the older Jedi.

Jacen grimaced; he had hoped that all of the 'discussing' about a 'new Jedi ideal' that he had been doing with Masters Durron, Katarn, Sabatyne, and Jade-Skywalker was enough to sway their opinions—obviously, it was not. Turning to look at Jysella he saw the look he was hoping to see: defiance. Smirking, knowing what her answer was going to be, "Are you up for taking more chemistry classes?"

Determinedly, she dried both eyes before taking a swig of her Stout ale, "Yes."

Jacen smiled and glanced up as Corran walked onto the patio. Nodding to the older man, he looked back at Jysella and outlined his plan. "Okay, here is what we do…you'll enroll in a few graduate-level classes here at IC to show the admission board that you haven't been 'loafing' for a year." He sat down next to Jysella and wiped a tear smudge from her left eye. "Hapes' Royal College of Medicine has a minimum MCAT requirement of 35R. Do you think that you can do two points better?"

Jysella smiled, seeing where he was going with this and looked warmly over at her family, "With all of your help? Yes."

A moment later, Mirax caught on to the plan. Smiling at her daughter's former teacher, "So she'll take the MCAT again and give the Council one more chance. If they drag their feet again, we do an end-run and get a letter of recommendation from Tenel Ka?"

Jacen pointed at the smuggler with both hands. "Exactly."

Valin interjected, concerned, "Will the Queen Mother give her one?"

Jacen looked at the younger man with an amused grin, "Oh, I think I can persuade her." Valin was so busy scowling at Jacen's smug tone that he missed the knowing look that both Mirax and Jysella gave to the wayward Jedi.

"She'll be kicked out of the Order for this." Corran said quietly, more to himself than to anyone else.

His daughter rose out of her seat and knelt in front of her father, taking his hands in hers, "It will work out. We have to trust the Force."

Valin stood staring, it seemed, through his father, "The Force tells me that you'll be the best damn orthopedist on Coruscant."

Six sets of eyes looked at Valin in shock. Mirax found her voice first, "The Force showed you that?"

Valin only nodded as he got up and gave his younger sister a warm hug. "Give 'em hell, College Girl." He whispered into her hair. He released his sister and glanced meaningfully at his father and Jacen, his voice stern, "You two have a year to fix this."

O O(_)O O

Shaking his head from his memories, he looked at Jysella's lovely face, "This has been my fight since day one." Smiling, he continued, "Are you sure that you are okay with Plan B?"

Jysella's brown eyes turned serious. "Yes." She smiled a half-smile, "When you first asked me about this, I just kinda looked into it as a lark; something to try before getting serious about being a Jedi." Jacen smiled at her candor. "But one morning during my second semester at IC, something clicked. I CAN do this. I'll never be a Jedi like your sister or my father, but…I am _good_ at chemistry, I am_ good _at physiology. I _can_ be a good doctor." She looked down at the floor, embarrassed about her bravado.

Before Jacen could reply, she looked up and asked, "Do you remember Iago Nguyen?"

Jacen scrunched his face, trying to remember the name. "Sorry, I recognize the name, but…"

His former student interrupted, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. He was a couple of years behind me." She said, thinking the additional information might jog Jacen's memory. "Anyway, I had lunch with him the other afternoon and he started telling me about how he read in the news that lower-class residents on Coruscant are three times as likely to be found guilty of the same type of crime as wealthier citizens." Jacen nodded; it was pretty much true of everywhere in the galaxy. Money is good for a lot of things: better housing, better food, better legal council, and, perhaps most importantly, more respect. "Long-story-short: he is taking Criminal Justice classes at IC. Iago wants to become a lawyer and try to give better legal representation to those people."

Jacen smiled again, and opened his mouth to reply, but Jysella pressed on as she poked him in the chest. "_He_ is the reason you wanted me to think about going to Med School." Jacen rolled his eyes to himself, once Jysella Horn got going; it was tough to get her to stop. "Iago and others like him. You wanted me to crack open the door to allow others to follow me. You think that the Jedi should branch out; integrate ourselves into society more." The young woman had narrowed her eyes menacingly, but her tone was quiet and thoughtful.

"Yes." Jacen admitted.

Jysella smiled warmly. "Well then, _you'd_ better convince Master Skywalker, or the Queen Mother is going to have a flood of former Jedi flocking to her schools."

Jacen chuckled as the brunette woman pulled him into a friendly embrace. "I'd better be on my best behavior, then." He released Jysella from their hug and gave her a wink before heading towards the bank of turbolifts.

The younger woman smiled sadly to herself as she watched the GAG Colonel get onto the turbolift. As she did, it occurred to her that the reason the Solo kids were so revered at the Academy was that they _never_ gave up. Both of them viewed seemingly insurmountable odds as a mere challenge. Without trying, they had inspired an entire generation of Jedi. Jysella shook her head sadly; she hoped that the Jaina and Jacen could mend whatever it was that had come between them, because together the two of them were _unstoppable_.

O O(_)O O

Riding in the glass lift, Jacen tried to get back into 'battle mode' for the arguments that he was about to have with his Aunt, to no avail. His mind was too busy remembering the look that Jysella had given him before he had gotten on the lift. Her look that said she believed him to be capable of anything, that he would be able to get Mara and Luke Skywalker to change their position. _Kriff, I can't even be a decent Sith, how can I change anyone's mind?_

The GAG Colonel was so lost in thought that it took him a second to realize that the lift had stopped and the doors were open. Rolling his eyes at his own inattention, he stepped out and made his way down the hall towards his aunt and uncle's flat. As he walked, he checked himself to ensure that his Force presence was contained; he did not want to give Masters Skywalker any chance to prepare for this visit. Pausing outside of their door, Jacen took a deep breath and rang the door chime. _Show time_.

After a few moments, the door slid open revealing the impossibly blue eyes of his uncle. Eyes that widened in shock at seeing his nephew and narrowed quickly in suspicion. "Jacen! This is a surprise."

The younger man suppressed a grimace; he had been planning on talking to Mara. Bowing politely, he answered in a tone that would have made his mother very proud. "Uncle Luke; please forgive my intrusion into your morning. Might I have a minute?"

"Well, as you can see," his uncle explained, gesturing down at his grey cargo pants and ribbed tank top, "I was about to get in some 'sabre practice." Luke smiled at his nephew, "Care to join me?"

Jacen could hear the challenge underneath Luke's nonchalant tone; it was clear that his uncle had been wishing to have a go at him for a while. Jacen smiled, trying to answer with the same nonchalant tone, "Sure. It's been a while though, so try to take it easy on me." Jacen was really _not _in the mood to spar with his uncle, but he was a Solo, and Solos _never_ backed down.

Luke chuckled, "I'll try to remember that," he responded, clearly not meaning it. "Let me grab my shoes." The Grand Master went back into his flat, leaving Jacen standing in the doorway.

On his way back to the front door, Luke pulled on his traditional Jedi robe as he grabbed a water bottle off of the kitchen counter and made his way back to the open door. "Ready?"

Jacen nodded and the two of them started to make their way to the turolifts. Looking over at his nephew, Luke commented on his appearance, "Not that it is any of my business," he said in a tone that indicated that he _did_ think it his business, "but it looks like you slept in that shirt."

Jacen shot him an amused look, "_I_ didn't." He paused briefly, "But I know who did." One thing Jacen learned from his dealings with Ta'a Chume was how to let other people run with their assumptions; the longer people hold their beliefs, the more they mold reality to fit those beliefs. If his uncle wanted to think him a playboy, it would be just that much harder to deduce the truth about Allana.

The Jedi Master only shook his head. "Are you still seeing that singer?"

"Don't you have an Order to run?" Jacen answered drily. "I would think the social life of a lowly public servant would be way down the list of things to worry about."

Luke pushed the 'call' button for the turbolift and shrugged. "Consider it an uncle's prerogative."

As they stepped onto the 'lift, Luke looked over at his nephew, "So, what brings you to the Temple?"

Jacen sighed as he pressed the button for the correct floor. Casting a curious eye on his former master, he answered quietly, "Ben." Luke visibly tensed as Jacen continued; "I feel that it would be better for all involved if you found a different Master for him to study under."

The head of the Jedi Order tried to keep the relief from his voice. "May I ask why?"

Shaking his head, Jacen smiled a humorless smile. There were times, like right now, that he preferred Mara's blunt approach to his uncle's attempts at subtlety. "We both know why: neither Mara nor you trust me. _You_," he emphasized, turning to look directly at his uncle, "haven't trusted me in _years_." He sighed again, visibly trying to reign in his anger. "Anyway, I do not wish to come between Ben and his parents."

Luke only nodded and they rode in silence the rest of the trip to their floor. As they exited the lift, the older man opined, "Perhaps later, after you've earned…"

"DO. NOT. Finish that thought." Jacen interrupted, straightening up to his full height and glaring down at his uncle. Shaking his head, "I am no longer sixteen. I no longer feel the need for you to approve of my every move; earning your trust is way, _way_ down my list of things to do."

The Jedi Master stared at his one-time pupil as they made their way down the hallway. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Jacen." He smiled slightly, "Thank you, by the way. Thank you for all that you've done for Ben."

Colonel Solo froze momentarily, clearly taken aback. The comment was offered as a peace offering, of course, but he still felt the sincerity in his uncle's comment. Nodding once, he resumed walking down the hallway. "He has a lot of talent and will do well. If I may, I'd like to offer a suggestion as to who ought to be Ben's next Master."

Luke looked quizzically at the younger man as he opened the door to their training room. "Who'd you have in mind?" Luke asked as he shrugged off his Jedi robes and started to perform some light stretching.

Jacen watched his uncle for a few seconds before answering, "Corran Horn." Sensing Luke's surprise, he smiled slightly, "Ben has developed some impressive investigative skills, and I think that working with Master Horn would further hone these skills."

Narrowing his blue eyes in consternation, Luke's tone became harsh, "Is that how you view us now, Jacen? As police?"

_Here we go_. Suppressing a grimace, the younger man shook his head. "Of course not. But, I don't think that we should be holed-up in the Temple, either."

A flash of anger crossed the Jedi master's face. "You know better than that. The Jedi follow the will of the Force."

Jacen allowed a predatory grin; he might not be in the mood for 'sabre practice, but he was _always_ in the mood for a philosophical debate. "But only if the 'Will' keeps them in line with what you define." Luke opened his mouth to reply, but Jacen kept going, letting his pent-up frustration with the Order boil out, "The 'Will of the Force' called my Mother to be Chief-of-State, and she used the Force almost daily in trying to keep the peace, but you refused to call her a Jedi Knight until she could waive a lightsaber. The Force calls my sister to fly; yet you don't allow her to act as an instructor to future pilots. Jaina is _the_ best pilot in the Alliance; why is she not allowed to pass her knowledge on to the next generation?" Jacen scowled at his former master, "How do you know that the Force is not 'calling' Ben to be an Intelligence Agent? How do you know it is not 'calling' Jysella to be a doctor?"

Luke pointed a finger at Jacen's face, clearly seething; "I told you to stay away from her."

Unseen by either man, Jysella Horn stood on the balcony overlooking the practice floor and recoiled in horror. She had never once seen the GrandMaster angry, and it was scary, she was unsure if it were possible for the two men standing in the small room below her would ever be able to mend whatever it was that had come between them, but she knew that she did _not_ wish to be the reason for their falling out. Cautiously, she reached out to Jacen and tried to let him know that she was _not_ worth the trouble; that she would try to content herself with being an EMT for the Order.

To her surprise, Jacen smirked at his uncle, a smirk that Jysella knew that was really aimed at her. "No. That 'order' is even less enforceable now than it was three years ago." Shaking his head, "Jysella has the grades, the MCAT score, and the determination. We don't _need_ your approval, the Queen Mother has already agreed to give us a letter of recommendation; Jysella _is_ going to Med School, with or without your sabbatical."

Luke continued to glare at the younger man, "I see. Why are you bothering with me, then?"

Letting out a deep breath, Jacen answered, "Because it will kill her to leave the Order." Jacen looked away from his uncle, "She shouldn't have to choose; Jysella can be both a doctor _and_ a Jedi." He paused and looked once again at his one-time mentor, "Corran and Mirax are some of your oldest friends; why are you letting your anger with me damage your relationship with them?" Jacen shook his head and turned to leave, he was not going to persuade his uncle to change. Reaching out to Jysella, he tried to convey that he would understand if she did not wish to defy the GrandMaster.

Skywalker stared at the floor for a second, responding just as Jacen reached the door. "Why her? You can have any woman on Coruscant, why are you pursuing Jysella?"

Upstairs, Jysella dug her nails into her palms to keep her anger at Luke's comment in check. None of her friends really believed that _she_ wanted to be a doctor; they all thought she was doing this because her one-time crush paid her a compliment and took her out for pizza-a belief, apparently, that Master Skywalker held.

Jacen spun and glared at the Jedi Master; incredulous that his uncle thought that he was doing this simply because he thought Jysella pretty. "I'm not trying to _have _anybody." He let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the ceiling, deciding to voice the _real_ reason he wanted Jysella Horn to go to Medical School, "I look at her and I see me from fifteen years ago. I see me before the Vong, before Myrkr, before the Embrace of Pain." He lowered his gaze and shook his head, "I don't want her to end up like me: jaded, bitter…lonely." Jacen's voice turned accusatory, "Jysella Horn is the smartest, most compassionate person in this building, she wants to go into medicine for all of the right reasons, and all anyone here talks about is that she is not as talented as her brother." He stabbed his uncle in the chest with his index finger, "Shame on you."

Luke looked at his nephew with understanding; Jacen, and the Order, had lost a lot during his captivity. Still, the man standing in front of him always seemed to have ulterior motives. "If I grant Jysella this sabbatical, what will your next 'crusade' be?"

The younger man heard the derision in his uncle's voice and bristled at the thought. Most of the Council viewed his arguments for allowing the Jedi to branch out as no more than a passing fad; that they thought him to be nothing more than a bored playboy and he became indignant, his voice sharp. "My next crusade is to get Jaina back into a cockpit again to pass on some of her skills; my next crusade is to get my mother to start teaching political science classes to the next generation of leaders and stop traipsing around the galaxy; my next crusade is get Mr. Nguyen into the College of Law; my next crusade is for Ben to be an Inspector for Coruscanti PD, if that is what he wishes to be." The Jedi had become stagnant, the Alliance was on the brink of war, and Jacen felt it his duty to do what he could to change both of these facts. Sighing dejectedly, he continued, "The Order needs to change, Uncle Luke. _You_ need to change. The galaxy is not what it was." He allowed a small smile at his uncle as he again turned to leave.

"Is that why you continue to antagonize the Council? Because you think you are smarter than the rest of us?"

Jacen turned his head and frowned slightly as he walked to the door. "I will do what I must."

Luke's head snapped up, recognizing the quote. "You are no Qui-Gon Jinn."

"And you are a far cry from Master Yoda." Jacen replied caustically, looking over his shoulder.

Luke shook his head at his nephew's comments: the Jedi would not change to suit the whims of galaxy. "What about you? You talk of change, yet you're the one who has become arrogant and unapproachable."

Whipping around, Jacen stared unbelievingly at the older man. "_I'm_ arrogant?" He paused, his face scrunched in distaste. "You _voluntarily_ joined the Emperor and the dark side to see what you could learn." He took a couple of steps closer, "You named _yourself _a Jedi Master." Jacen again pointed a finger at Luke's chest, "You insist upon being called 'Grand Master', even though Master Yoda never referred to himself as such. You did all that, and you the nerve to call _me_ arrogant?" The GAG Colonel scowled and bit out derisively, "What's your next title going to be? Kingmaker?"

Luke lashed out with the Force, his nephew flying backwards five meters before crashing into the wall with a satisfying 'thump'.

Jysella bit her hand to keep from yelling as she watched Jacen pick himself off the floor, a terrifying smile plastered on his face. Putting his left hand up to his lip, he mentally winked at Jysella when he saw the blood from his split lip on his fingers. _This is going to be fun_.

"Careful, Master Jedi…" Jacen said casually, using the same haughty tone that he had heard once from one of the Nightsisters, "…you wouldn't want to become angry."

Luke said nothing as he removed his lightsaber from his belt, his piercing blue eyes glaring at Jacen.

Nodding reluctantly, Jacen removed his own lightsaber from his belt, smirking his inherited Solo smirk. _Just one more nudge,_ Jacen thought and said the one thing guaranteed to get another spike of anger from his uncle, "Choose and act, Uncle…"

As expected, his words worked: with a blur of movement, Luke ignited his weapon and sprung at his nephew's left shoulder before the younger man could even finish his sentence, striking with a speed that was inhuman; a speed that was going to make this a very short 'practice' session.

Luke's eyes widened in shock when Jacen's green blade intercepted his own about half a meter short of his intended target. The Jedi Master's felt his ire rise further when Jacen's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. Apparently Luke had forgotten that Jacen used to teach at the academy, and had gone against some of the fastest hands ever to carry a lightsaber. Sensing his uncle's distaste, "Yep, the 'bleeding heart' can still fight." Jacen said off-handedly, his eyes sparkling in satisfaction.

With a twist of his wrist, Jacen separated their two blades and the 'practice' session began in earnest as he launched into a three-pronged with the same ruthless speed that his uncle had shown, backing the Jedi Master up a few paces.

O O(_)O O

Up on the balcony, Iago Nguyen sidled up to his friend. "Ten credits Master Skywalker beats your boyfriend in five minutes."

Jysella shot her short friend an evil look; she had gotten over her crush on Mr. Solo ages ago, why did everyone still think she held a candle for the guy? Shaking her head, she was about to reply when she heard a condescending laugh from the floor below, "Nope. That was a one-time deal only." With that, Jacen's Force presence disappeared and Jysella knew that he had gone into his 'Vong' phase. Giving Iao a wry smirk, "Make it twenty, and you're on."

"Deal."

O O(_)O O

Luke found himself being backed into the far wall by his nephew's attack and found that he enjoyed the challenge. However, it was now time to wipe Jacen's self-satisfied smirk off his face. With a quick flick of his right wrist, he lashed out with the Force, intending to once again shove his nephew back against the far wall.

Jacen noticed the quick flick and held out his own hand, absorbing the massive jolt of Force energy as he felt himself slide backwards half-a-meter. _Game on. _"Nope…" he replied, grinning wildly, "…that was a one-time deal only." Using the energy he had just absorbed, Jacen resumed his relentless assault, his pace even faster than before, and switched into his 'Vong sense'.

For years, Jacen, like everyone else, had misunderstood the Yuuzhan Vong's warrior mentality; almost everyone had assumed that the warrior caste simply liked to kill things. Only when he had happened upon Master Windu's holocron and started to practice Vapaad did he fully understand what the Vong mentality really was: they relished the _fight_, the thrill of matching wits with a fellow warrior in a no-holds-barred, fight-to-the-finish brawl. To them, it was the _process_ that mattered, not the outcome. Oddly, Mace's Vapaad was much the same; one had to _enjoy _the fight in order to properly use the technique, and only when Jacen channeled his inner 'Vong' could he channel Vapaad.

After several rapid blows to his uncle's midsection, Jacen backed up a step and whipped his blade in a couple of quick figure '8' motions, his mental 'trigger' for engaging Vapaad.

For a long second, the two men stared at each other, clearly sizing each other up after this initial round. With a sudden flurry, Jacen launched a complex three-stroke attack aimed at Luke's right hip, which Luke easily deflected. These blocks would have frustrated a younger Jacen Solo. Indeed, when he was younger Jacen always thought that if he could just get _faster_, he could finally best his uncle, never fully understanding that it is almost impossible to best a Soresu Master with speed alone. Before, Luke had been content to let his nephews tire themselves out with their bravado, their desire to prove themselves. Now, however, Jacen recognized that the tables were turned, that he had nothing to lose. If his uncle beat him—well, that was to be expected. Luke, however, had wanted to take his nephew down a notch for who-knows-how-long, so this was more than just a random training session for him; this was_ personal_.

Smirking to himself, Jacen continued his assault, keeping his blows confined to Luke's midsection, waiting for his uncle's counter-attack. When it came, it came with a ferocity that surprised him a little; Luke feinted to his left and quickly re-attacked to his right, his own green saber a blur. There was no question that Luke was _very_ good, and Jacen did not have to pretend to get his block up in the nick of time.

And so it went for an undetermined amount of time, each man pressing an advantage only to be stonewalled a few moments later, unable to find a way fully get past the others defenses.

Jacen launched a four-stroke attack at Luke's head and then followed it up with a sweep of his legs, hoping to catch Luke unawares. His uncle leaped over Jacen's leg sweep…and was suddenly slammed into the far wall, the breath _whooshing_ out of his lungs with a loud grunt. As he crashed to the floor, he heard his lightsaber clatter to the ground somewhere off to his right as it powered down with a _hiss-snap,_ and watched as his nephew gave him an almost apologetic smile as Jacen called the now deactivated lightsaber to his hand and walked over to where he was slumped against the wall.

"Where'd you learn that?" Luke asked, his tone clearly mystified, as he took Jacen's proffered hand.

Pulling his uncle to his feet, Jacen answered, "I met a Jensaarai woman named Eriana Fostenton about eighteen months into my trip." Handing Luke's lightsaber back, he continued wistfully, lost in his memories, "She is the_ best_ swordsman I've ever seen." Looking again at his uncle, "After some cajoling, I got her to practice the intricacies of Vapaad with me; we spent the better part of twelve months practicing the form."

Luke's face scrunched in concentration, "Vapaad? I've never heard of it."

"I hadn't either." Jacen admitted, shaking his head as he let out a long sigh. "Not until I stopped by Jorj Car'das' library." He paused, clearly searching for a way to explain Vapaad. "Oddly, from what I've been able to determine, Vapaad is more of a state of mind rather than an actual form."

"This Eriana? What happened to her?" There was no mistaking the knowing tone in Luke's voice.

Mentally smiling at his uncle buying into his 'playboy' act, Jacen allowed a dejected sigh, "Once she found out I was part of the 'Skywalker legacy'", unconsciously, Jacen made the quote marks as he said this, "Eriana no longer wished to be my practice partner."

Luke answered with a sad nod as neither man said anything for a long moment. Finally, with an air of condescension in his voice, "Pity you didn't teach this technique to any of your students."

"He did." Jysella answered, her smug voice coming from the observation deck. "Or do you think it coincidence that Jacen's students were always winning your 'sabre tournaments?"

Scowling at his nephew, Luke turned his head slightly to let his voice carry up to the balcony, "Don't you have somewhere else to be Knight Horn?"

Jysella let her voice grow as cold as she felt she could get away with, "No, I don't. I _would_ be attending neural chemistry lectures, but…"

"…That's enough, Ms. Horn." Jacen interrupted smoothly, sending her a mental wink; it would not do to embarrass the GrandMaster, not when Jacen got the feeling they were finally going to make headway with their sabbatical.

Luke was still scowling at his nephew, "You always let you students argue on your behalf?"

Jacen allowed a small shrug, "They're usually more persuasive than I."

Not taking his eyes off of Jacen, Luke again addressed Jysella; "It's easy to win tournaments when you can pick your own students."

Jysella's eyes widened in shock: Is that what the Council thought of Jacen? That he had stacked the deck? Feeling her anger simmer, she retorted, "Is that what you think?" Channeling some of her grandfather's legendary temper, she used it to defend her favorite teacher, "_I_ managed to finish second in both tourneys my last year, and I am _not_ on anyone's list of top ten swordsmen." Her voice turned frosty again, "Perhaps you should take a look at your records, _Master _Skywalker." With this, Luke snapped his head up to look at her, and Jysella realized that she had probably pushed things too far. Still, she was a Horn, and she refused to be intimidated, not even by the GrandMaster. As she returned Luke's glare, she heard Jacen's wry voice in her head, _Well Done! You should probably go now before he really gets mad._ Giving Jacen a quick look, Jysella turned and left the balcony.

After she had left, Luke again turned his glare to Jacen who gave him a small 'what-can-you-do' shrug. Luke held the look for several seconds before finally going over to the corner, picked up his robes, and left the arena.

Letting out a deep breath, Jacen gave his uncle a thirty count before he, too, left the practice court. Unsurprisingly, Jysella was waiting for him in the corridor. "Nice job. I wouldn't have thought to bring up the tournament results."

"Do you think it'll do any good?" Jysella asked as she half-turned to accompany him towards the turbolift.

Jacen shrugged, "It'll make them look at least." He glanced at his former student, "Maybe they'll realize I'm not as superficial as they think."

Jysella nodded as they got on the lift. "Speaking of superficial…" she turned and scrutinized her friend, "Did you mean what you said?"

With a humorless laugh, Jacen turned to look into her brown eyes. "That you remind me of myself when I was younger?" Jacen's gaze fell to the floor, "Yeah." A long pause ensued, "I lost most of my empathy in the war; I don't want you to lose yours."

Jysella took his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze; Jacen telling her that she reminded him of what he used to be was the best compliment she could receive. After waiting for Jacen to look up, she gave him a wry smile. "Thanks-but I meant when you thought that I was attractive."

There was a long pause as the two of them stared at each other, Jacen had forgotten about their link at the time he thought that; finally, they both started to laugh, the tension of their confrontation with Skywalker dissipating. Jacen returned the squeeze of her hand, "I do." He paused for a second, "Just don't tell your father…or your brother."

Letting go of his hand, Jysella ruffled Jacen's wavy brown hair as she winked at him. "Your secret is save with me."

O O(_)O O

"Luke?" He heard his wife call from the entryway, followed by the telltale 'thunk' of the front door closing.

"Down here." Luke replied loudly over his shoulder from his desk in the study at the end of the hall. Hearing her footfalls, he turned his attention back to vidscreen and jotted down a few more notes from the student progress report he was currently looking at.

"How was your day?" Mara asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Educational." The leader of the Jedi Order deadpanned, glancing at her reflection in the monitor. "I had a small 'chat' with our nephew."

His wife could not contain her disgust, "What about _this _time?"

Luke shrugged as he chuckled lightly, "You know: about how the Order needs to change; how Jysella should be allowed a sabbatical...the usual." He paused sensing her frustration and added, almost as an afterthought, "And Ben."

Mara's frustration sharpened, "What about _our_ son?" There was no mistaking the malice in her voice, "Did you tell him that there is no way we're going to allow Ben to accompany him on any more of those GAG raids?"

"I didn't have to; Jacen stopped by to say that he was stepping aside as Ben's Master."

Mara sighed a deflated sigh; clearly she had been gearing up for a fight. "Oh."

Nodding, Luke continued as he continued to watch his wife's reflection, "He mentioned that it was quite obvious that we don't trust him and he had no desire to 'come between Ben and his parents'."

Shaking her head, her auburn hair waving behind her, "Jacen's..." _wrong_. Mara wanted to say it; wanted to vocalize that _of course_ they trusted their only nephew, he was _family_. Hanging her head, she realized that they did not trust him; they had not really trusted him since his return from...wherever the hell he had gone. She had had to lobby her husband pretty hard to get him to agree to allow Ben to apprentice to Jacen; an arrangement that she was still rather leery of. Jacen was a smart guy—he had probably known for a long time just how short a leash his aunt and uncle had kept him on, seemingly waiting for him to screw up.

It was several minutes before either of them said anything, both clearly lost in thought. Why _had_ they lost faith in their nephew? Finally, Luke cleared his throat and commented, "I challenged him to a duel."

Raising an eyebrow at her husband's out-of-character phrasing, "Did you kick his liberal little butt?"

Luke turned to face his wife so she could finally see the deep bruise that covered his left eye, "Nope."

Mara stood dumbfounded at his admission; Luke Skywalker was one of the best swordsman the Order had ever seen, how was it that his liberal, searching–for-meaning-everywhere nephew could best him in a straight-up fight? Thinking on this, the former Emperor's Hand quickly went to the kitchen, grabbing a dishtowel and a few ice cubes. What _else _did Jacen learn out there? Wrapping the ice in the towel, she returned to their study and handed her husband the impromptu ice pack, getting a nod of thanks in return. As Luke held the ice up to his face, he explained further, "Jacen mentioned that he learned a lightsaber technique called Vapaad from a Jensaarai woman he had met out in the unknown regions." He looked up at her, "You ever hear of it?"

"Vapaad?" Mara's green eyes narrowed in concentration as she thought, "Only rumors." Shaking her head at not being able to recall anything specific, "Something about a Master Windu inventing it."

Luke nodded in agreement; his wife confirming what Jacen had said. "That's what Jacen mentioned." Luke held up his hand, forestalling Mara's impeding question, "And no, Jacen does not know where she is; they lost touch some time ago." A small shrug, "At least that's what he said."

His wife continued to scowl—they never knew when Jacen was being entirely truthful, not anymore—and at the fact that their nephew taught at the Academy for three years and not once mentioned this technique. Commenting caustically, "A pity he never deemed us important enough to know about this skill."

She heard a small snort of laughter as Luke looked at her wryly, "Funny, I said the same thing." A small grin formed on his face, "That's when Jysella Horn decided to make her presence known."

Mara rolled her green eyes; if nothing else, Jysella was known for never backing down from an argument. "Of course she would, she's been crushing on Jacen for years."

Luke nodded in agreement, "True. But she did point out that one of his students won the semi-annual fencing tournaments every year he taught here."

"It's easy to win you hand-pick the best students for your class."

Unable to keep from laughing, Luke marveled at the way he and his wife thought alike. Shaking his head at her confused look, he explained, "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh; I said the same thing, almost verbatim." Seeing the amused sparkle in her eye at the thought, he continued, "Anyway, that's when Ms. Horn pointed out that she finished second in both tournaments her last year at school." Mara frowned at this information, Jysella Horn was a great many things: smart, funny, easy-going, and had great potential. But a tournament finalist? Mara could not see Mirax's daughter in that light; Jysella was just not that talented. Seeing her reaction, Luke gestured to the vidscreen, "I took a page from your handbook and checked." This garnered a small smirk from his wife, she was always telling people to 'trust, but verify.' "It seems that Ms. Horn is correct. Not only did Jacen's students win each of the six tournaments during his tenure here, but they also finished 1-2 in four of them."

While letting Mara digest this new information, Luke turned and grabbed the flimsi pad he had been scribbling notes on. "I've been doing some digging. This is what her previous instructors had to say about Jysella." He flipped back a couple of pages, "Year 2: 'Still confused between Form I and Form III.' Year 3: 'Lacks concentration. Unable to motivate.' Year 4: 'Seems uninterested. Middling talent at best.'" Luke looked back up at his wife. "Jacen's comments?" He asked rhetorically, and handed her the flimsi, having already committed his nephew's comments to memory. "Year 5: 'Constantly in shadow of older brother and father. Worked on confidence and overcoming unrealistic expectations. A Shien natural.' Year 6: 'Confidence growing. Responds well to challenges and goals. Second place finisher- Twice!'"

Mara smiled at the way her husband's inflection caught the pride in Jacen's double-underlined wording. "Yeah, but we both know she always had a thing for him, so she was probably just responding to his extra attention."

"I had similar thoughts, so I looked up some of this other students." Mara nodded as he flipped the page for her to read his notes:

Darra Beks—Year4: Uninspired. No sense of urgency.  
Year5: Lacksidasical approach. Doesn't listen to instruction.  
Year6: (Jacen) Tactile learner. Can 'feel' Form III patterns— huge advances made. Made him promise to come to my class when not on a mission.

Mara turned the page.

Nelani Dinn—Year4: More interested in flirting. Lacks focus.  
Year5: (Jacen) Mother worked in pleasure house- harbors deep fear of becoming 'ugly'. First student I've had to be able to use Form VI.  
Year6: (Jacen) More comfortable in 'casual' clothes, able to spend time alone without fear of _being_ alone. Fastest hands I've seen this side of Hapes and has the anticipatory ability of Durron; finished third in fall tourney due to lame footwork penalty in semis—Won spring tournament! Stupid proud of her!

Mara was going to turn another page, but Luke placed his hand on the flimsi pad. As she looked up, he said seriously, "There are another four pages of students, but they are all along the same line." Luke took a deep breath, shaking his head, "Jacen didn't take the best students, he took the ones that were struggling and turned them into the best." Pausing, he hung his head in embarrassment, "Jacen took the time to find out why these kids were struggling in their lessons, and made them _all _better."

Mara's tone turned thoughtful, "We should probably apologize."

Surprisingly, Luke shook his head. "I think that it's too late for that."

After a long moment, Mara finally caught on; "You're going to give Jysella her sabbatical?"

The Grandmaster let out a deep breath, "Yeah." He looked guiltily at his wife, "I keep thinking back to what Mon Mothma told me once," he surprised his wife by imitating the esteemed former Chief-of-State, "'The Jedi need to be doctors, lawyers, taxi drivers…' Jacen's right, we've been so focused on being Jedi that we've forgotten how to be…citizens."

Squeezing his hand Mara replied in a soft tone. "I knew you'd see the light sooner or later." Catching his hurt look, she merely shrugged. "We'd better call Ben to see if he wants to go dinner after getting 'dumped' by his Master."

* * *

A/N: Eriana Fostenton is a character from Jedi Carpet's fantastic _From the Ashes_ quadrilogy, (is that a word?) and is used with permission. If I can find a way to work her into the story later, I will, but I don't want to force her. Also from his story, I borrowed Jacen's method of getting into his 'Vapaad' mode, the 'figure 8' sword slash. Mostly, 'cause I think it would look _really _cool if done fast enough.

My intention was not to deride Ben Skywalker at the beginning of the chapter but only to point out that he still IS a teenager in this and most teenagers are headstrong and full of bravado. Jacen needs an apprentice who is willing to work _with_ him, not _for_ him. Furthermore, I think that Jacen is catching on that Lumiya is using him to get to his uncle.

I used Jysella as a starting point for Jacen's crusade to get Jedi more involved in the galaxy. There are a couple Jacen/Jysella stories on here, and while I found the pairing to be a bit…odd, I did like that most stories had them as healers so I just ran with that plot device as a way of keeping continuity with the 'pairing'. And I don't think it too hard to imagine that there were quite a few young Jedi teenagers with a crush on Mr. Solo. Here again, I used the 'changed' timeline of Nelani's training from earlier for a better fit into Jacen's time as an instructor. Oh, and if anyone here is considering going into medicine, it REALLY helps if you've majored in Chemistry—it is what makes the body run.

If we take the long-held belief that 'movie' canon is higher than 'book' canon, than we should believe that there is no such thing as a 'Grand' Master. Not once in the five movies in which he appears was Yoda called 'GrandMaster'; this title first appears in _Dark Rendezvous_ and book two of _Joiner King_, both of which came out at about the same time. Coincidence? I think not. What was once a 'Knights of the Round Table' story has evolved into _Animal Farm_. Personally, I think that Yoda would be appalled by the title.

More than anything, I wanted Jacen to kick Luke's shebs in their 'practice', but I didn't think that realistic. Hopefully, this fits into the overall tapestry of realism. One last note, I've never liked that many fans thought Jacen a crappy Jedi because he was 'liberal', so I threw in the 'bleeding heart' line and others.

Thanks again for reading. Please review if you are so inclined.


	11. Chapter 11--Walk This Way

Chapter 11

A/N: I'll admit, the last chapter got away from me and got a little…long, so I'll try to keep them a bit shorter. It suddenly dawned on me that I have not thanked all of you who have 'favorited' and 'followed' my silly story. So, on behalf of Danni, Allana, Tenel Ka and Jacen-THANK YOU!

* * *

Knowing he was four hours late, Jacen cringed at the furious look Marné sent him when he walked into his office; a look that gradually softened as she ran her eyes over his disheveled appearance. Concern filled her voice as she asked cautiously, "You jump off of a speeder again?"

Jacen shot her a wry look as he stopped at her desk, "Not this time; although it feels like it." Sitting on the edge of her desk, he grabbed a chocolate out of the dish sitting on the corner. Unwrapping the foil, he admitted sheepishly, "I 'practiced' with Master Skywalker today."

Holding out her hand for the wrapper, his violet-eyed assistant stared at him unbelievingly. Finally, she found her voice, "What, you didn't get enough torture from the Vong?" Shaking her head, Marné sighed resignedly, "How bad was it?"

Jacen winked as he grabbed another chocolate before heading for his office. "I won." Chuckling warmly at her gob-smacked expression, he headed into is office to find a change of clothes.

He was still chuckling a few moments later as he rummaged through the small closet in his office when he felt the slight shift in air pressure indicating that a door had been opened. Swallowing a sigh, he turned to face his Sith 'master'. "You could knock, you know."

Lumiya merely shrugged as her green eyes sparkled. Stepping closer, her look became puzzled. "Is that perfume I smell?"

Jacen knew that she was fishing for information; it was pretty obvious from his attire that he had not gone home. Smiling humorlessly, "It might be." Danni had not worn any perfume last night, and he had _definitely_ been close enough to notice.

Again, the hint of a smile showed in Lumiya's eyes as she said wryly, "You probably shouldn't get into the habit of sleeping with your potential apprentice."

Yep, she was fishing. "Nah, I had to make…alternative arrangements." Lying to a Sith Lord is something that most people only get the chance to do once, but Jacen had seen the 'out': because 'sleeping' had not been what Lumiya had really meant, it _was_ true that he and Danni had made 'alternative arrangements'. Therefore, he _was_ telling the truth.

"Ah. So Jacen Solo _is_ human." The Sith replied knowingly, "How much did this 'arrangement' cost you?"

Jacen allowed a small smirk, his attempt at misdirection worked much better than he had hoped. "I gentleman never kisses and tells."

"If you spend the night only kissing, you got overcharged."

Jacen hung his head, laughing at the joke. A Sith with a sense of humor? Who knew?

Lumiya continued, "I'm assuming from the 'saber burns on your shirt that you've been practicing." As Jacen reflexively looked down at his shirt, her tone frosted over a bit, "I thought you were going to dump Ben Skywalker."

"I did. His father wished to take me down a notch." He paused theatrically, "I'm not the pushover he thought me to be."

His master said nothing as she simply stared at him for a long moment. Apparently, it _is _possible to surprise a Sith. "Interesting," she purred, "Could you do it again?"

"Probably." Jacen admitted. "It took me a while to get into right frame of mind this morning."

Lumiya said nothing as stared at him, pondering this information. Jacen understood enough about interrogations-she was giving him the 'silent' treatment in the hopes that he would volunteer more information. Fifteen years ago, it would have worked; but that was before the Embrace. Now? Now Jacen knew better.

Realizing that her pupil was not going to offer up anything further, the Sith Lord nodded to his desk, "I brought you a gift."

Craning his neck to see around his master, Jacen saw a small metal box about the size of a caf maker sitting on his desk. Turning his attention back to Lumiya, "You shouldn't have, " he offered drolly, eliciting a soft chuckle from his master, "…and it's a…?"

"Sith flame-fusion machine." She answered proudly.

Jacen shook his head as he let out a snort of laughter. Raising an eyebrow, "It's inanimate, I don't think it's a…_Sith_ anything."

Fixing her green eyes on her student, she retorted, "Fine, it's a flame-fusion machine the Sith have used." Even hidden under her mask, Jacen was pretty sure he could see her scowl. "Better?"

Jacen nodded as he walked over to examine the metal box, "Much. What does a flame-fusion machine do?"

"It makes lightsaber crystals." Again, there was no mistaking the pride in her voice. According to Sith lore, a synthetic crystal was superior to the natural crystals that the Jedi favored; the rationale being that most of the impurities were removed in a synthetic crystal, allowing the user to channel the Force more thoroughly into the blade, making it stronger.

Turning his head to look at her, "I already have a lightsaber." Because of his part in Tenel Ka's accident, Jacen was all too aware of the inherent problems with natural crystals, but remained unconvinced about the claimed superiority of the man-made stones.

"Yes, but not a _Sith_ lightsaber." Jacen raised his eyebrow again and her tone became authoritative, "Don't. Push. Your. Luck."

Colonel Solo smiled and turned his attention back to the fusion machine, "And what possessing such a lightsaber do for me?"

Lumiya answered, her voice almost reverent, "It will tell the galaxy that you are someone to be reckoned with." _To be feared—_he understood her to mean.

Jacen nodded absently as he pretended to be interested in the device. In all honesty, he possessed only a passing interest in electronics, but he needed time to think. Is that what he wanted? All he really wanted was to maintain the peace—wasn't it? Standing, he looked over at Lumiya again, "Wouldn't it be cheaper to simply put an announcement on the holonet?" He mimed a headline with his hands, "Jacen Solo to be next Sith Lord."

"Well, if you don't want it…" she huffed and made a move for the device.

Jacen smiled as he knocked her hand away from the machine, enjoying the fact that even Sith women can get pouty. "No, no. I'll take it." He offered his master an appreciative smile, "Thank you."

Lumiya's posture eased, and he could see a small glint of a smile in her eyes, "You're welcome, Jacen."

O O(_)O O

Forty-four days before Jacen's 'mandatory' vacation.

Jacen had to squint to see past the flashing yellow warning lights that were illuminating the bridge with an eerie amber glow—casting a quick look at the status displays at his console—_how did he know where to look?_ —he saw that his ship was in dire straights. _His ship?_ The shields were down completely, the main drives were at 55%, four banks of turbolasers had been knocked out on the starboard side, and the hull had been breached in three different locations. _What in the hell is going on? _

Absently, it occurred to him that someone had thought to silence the audible alarm, because the only sound to be heard on the bridge was the faint 'clicking' of the alarm lights.

_Another vision_, he thought to himself, noticing that this one was different than his previous ones; this one he was seeing in the first person. Glancing around the bridge, and blatantly ignoring the expectant looks he was getting from the surrounding personnel, he somehow recognized the bridge as belonging to that of a Super Star Destroyer-how he knew that, he wasn't quite sure, but it felt right. Finally, the Communications Officer cleared his throat, "My Lord? The Comm?" Jacen looked at him confusedly, _My Lord? What did _that_ mean?_ The young man looked chagrined at having to repeat himself, "We are being hailed by the _Dragon Queen_, my Lord."

Jacen mentally shook his head, still trying to figure out what was going on. Maybe Tenel Ka would be able to explain what was happening and why his SSD was in such dire shape. Nodding at the Comm Officer, "Very well. On screen, if you please," he answered, hoping his voice sounded properly…Naval. What was the commander of an SSD supposed to sound like? He talked to Admiral Niathal, of course, but she was hardly a representative sample.

When his friend's visage appeared on the bridge's main screen, he was taken aback by the cold outrage in her normally warm eyes. Hiding his shock, he addressed the Hapan Monarch, "Queen Mother…" he started, keeping his voice professional.

"Jacen…" she interrupted, pain evident in her voice, "Your rule is at an end. Surrender now, or I will be forced to open fire."

_My rule? Surrender? Open fire? What in the _hell_ was going on? _Unable to keep the confusion out of his voice, "I beg your pardon?" he asked, mainly to give himself time to think. As he looked around the bridge, he stretched out with the Force to get a sense of what the crew was feeling. To a person, they all were determined to not go down without a fight; they all believed in their cause…his cause…to bring an end to the chaos. Many of their comrades had died today, and they were all determined to ensure those deaths meant something; that these _traitors_ would _not _carry the day.

"You heard me." Tenel Ka's cold voice interrupted his thoughts, "You have two minutes to stand down or we will blow you from the skies." He could hear her icy resolve and could sense her Dathomiri warrior battle-lust bleeding through their tenuous link.

Jacen could not keep the growing since of panic from rising in his gut; something had gone desperately wrong. He would never fight _her_, would he? He opened his mouth to agree to her terms, to apologize-anything to be able to hold her in his arms again, "Tenel Ka, I…." he trailed off. Once again, he felt his crew's resolve and the _rightness_ of their cause. He would not surrender now; he _could _not surrender now, not to her, not to anyone.

"I see." She replied sadly, a single tear visible trailing down her cheek. Jacen closed his eyes and let out a long sigh as she reached with her hand and terminated the connection.

Quickly he snapped himself out of his reverie, and looked back up at his crew, an immense feeling of pride bursting in his chest. Odds are they were all going to die here, but they would die _fighting_; if he learned nothing else from the Vong, it was how to fight with honor. Addressing his crew, his voice cracking with the immense affection he felt for all of them, "Get a firing solution on the closest Battle Dragons. Return fire on my command."

The weapons bay became a flurry of activity and he caught the nod of approval from his Executive Officer. Returning the nod, he turned his gaze out the forward viewport for the first time and saw massive fires burning on the planet below them. _Who in the hell did _that_? _he wondered briefly before seeing the first flashes of green from the nearest Battle Dragon. "Fire!" he commanded quietly and almost immediately heard the soft 'whump' as dozens of proton torpedoes were fired from their starboard launchers. Seconds later, he felt the impact of tens of turbolasers as they burned into his SSD, a ship he did not even know the name of.

O O(_)O O

Jerking awake, Jacen took a deep breath as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Running his hand through his sweat-slicked hair, he looked over at his bedroom chrono—_0157._ With a resigned sigh, he got up from his overlarge bed; trying to get back to sleep was only an invitation for more visions, each making even less sense than the one previous one. How could he get them to stop? He had tried sleeping pills, he had tried getting extra drunk-nothing seemed to help. He had seriously considered calling a 'highly-regarded' (meaning: _very_ expensive) 'escort' service—after all his mother had complained all the time about his father conking out after a round of…activity. Shaking his head at the memory of his mother's complaints, he took another look at the chrono and shrugged to himself as he pulled on the pair of dress pants lying at the foot of the bed; he had managed to get three hours of sleep this evening; a marked improvement over last night.

Marné had mentioned a couple of days ago that he looked really tired, concern evident in her violet eyes. At the time, he wanted to tell her, 'Well, when you only get two hours…'

His thoughts died off halfway through buckling his belt, as a memory jumped out at him. _Last_ night he slept until 0800. What was different about last night? His brow wrinkled in confusion as the answer bubbled out of his memory: _Danni._ What was different about his night with Danni? It obviously was not sex, and he still had these visions when he had stayed at the Fountain Palace, so it could not have been just because he slept next to someone, so what was it? Puzzled, he finished buckling the belt and made his way into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. What had he and Danni done last night? They had only talked most of the…

Jacen froze, his hand over the kitchen faucet. _Talked_. When was the last time he had _really_ talked to someone? He and Tenel Ka made idle chitchat, but they had not really _talked_, not like they used to; and it had been ages since he had talked to his mother. Could it really be something so mundane? His cup of tea forgotten, he picked his comlink off of the counter-_only one way to find out_.

O O(_)O O

With a startled gasp, Danni awoke and for the second time in a week found her bed in complete disarray. _What was that? W__hy was I on the bridge of a Star Destroyer?_ With a weird sense of déjà vu, the blonde woman got up to get a drink of water, throwing the duvet back onto the bed. Before reaching the bathroom, she heard the telltale marimba sound of her comlink. Scowling, she changed course to answer. _Who could be calling at…?_ Suddenly, she remembered Sekot's comment about sharing a Force connection with Jacen-apparently she was sharing his some of his visions in real-time. Picking up the comlink, "Articulate."

There was a slight pause, "Ar…what? Danni? I don't even know what that means." Danni chuckled at his exasperated tone and listened as Jacen sighed deeply, "Are you busy?"

"Not any more," she deadpanned. Putting her hand over the mic, she turned her attention to her empty bed and said in a louder voice, "Antonio? Honey, this is going to take a while; you might as well go home." Uncovering the mic, she smiled as she heard Jacen's laughter over the speaker.

"My fault for asking." There was another pregnant pause, before he continued, "May I come over?"

Danni's first thought was to needle him some more, to tease him that he could only come over if his performance was better than it was the night prior, but decided against it. There was something about his tone that sounded…lonely…desperate almost. "Sure."

Through the speaker, she heard him let out a deep breath; apparently he had assumed she would turn him down. "Thanks, Danni."

"No problem."

O O(_)O O

A little over thirty-minutes later, wearing a bathrobe thrown over her sleep shirt and pants, Danni opened the door and was greeted by a smug-looking Jacen Solo who immediately handed her a thick cardboard cup. Remaining in the doorway, Danni took a small sip of the hot chocolate and nodded appreciatively; he had added just the right amount of cinnamon to the chocolate. With a sly grin, she opened the door wider and moved to let him in, "I find your penance to be…acceptable." Jacen's smug smirk got a little bigger as she followed him into the living area.

As they sat on opposite ends of the dark green couch, Danni looked over to scrutinize her friend. If anything, he looked even more haggard than he had yesterday, but maybe that was just because of the two-day-old stubble and wrinkled dress pants he had not bothered to change out of. Trying to ease his obvious funk, she said lightly, "Well, I know why _I'm_ up at…" she checked her wrist chrono, "...0230. The question is: Why are _you_ awake?"

With a resigned sigh, he studied his hot chocolate as if he could find the answer to her question hiding under the remnants of the whipped cream. Finally, he answered in a small voice, "I can't sleep."

Before she could stop herself, Danni chuckled twice; in her mind's eye, she could see a five-year-old Jacen quietly stalking down the stairs in his footed pajamas and telling Leia the same thing in the same voice. Seeing his embarrassed look, Danni quickly apologized, "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh." Willing her face into a concerned look, "Have you tried…"

"I've tried _everything_." Jacen interrupted disgustedly. Seeing Danni's raised eyebrow, he corrected himself, and allowed a wry smile, "Well, _almost_ everything." There was a long pause before he finally continued, "I keep having these visions…"

Staring at the carpet, Jacen started describing his last vision, only leaving out the immense sadness he felt when his best friend opened fire at his ship. His brain on autopilot, he told Danni about his vision of seeing the galaxy descend into chaos; recounted his vision of dueling his uncle to the death. After talking for the better part of thirty minutes, he looked over at the blonde scientist and finally noticed her expression; she was totally unfazed by his revelations-it was as if she had already known about his visions and was merely waiting for him to admit to them. Until yesterday, they had not talked for over a decade; how could she know about his visions?

Danni took a sip of her now lukewarm chocolate to settle her thoughts, hoping she could get Jacen to see what was pretty clear to her. Glancing over at him, she asked pointedly, "What do you think these visions mean?"

Jacen let out a long breath, "I don't…"

Danni interrupted, disgusted at his denial, "Well, you'd better figure it out." She let that hang in the air for a moment, "Or the Hapan Navy will figure it out for you."

Jacen nodded slowly as he took another sip of his drink. As he did, Danni continued carefully, "Don't you feel it when you walk around?" Seeing his quizzical look, she pressed on, "People are afraid…" she trailed off, as if not telling him the truth would make it go away. "…afraid of the GAG…" She saw his eyes widen in surprise and she continued sadly, "…afraid of you." Danni got to her feet and stared at him accusingly, "The Jacen I knew would be _appalled_ to know that people are afraid of him."

The one-time Jedi winced, recalling his earlier conversation with Lumiya. Not wanting to face his own fears, "Can't you feel it?" he retorted, using her words against her, springing to his feet as he did so. "There is a _war _coming-I have to stop it."

Danni arched an eyebrow, "_You _have to stop it?"

"That's not what I meant."

Danni stared at him for a long moment, something was telling her that it was time to commit fully to her crusade, and her glare softened a little, "Yes it is. You can't save the galaxy, Jacen." She paused, taking a deep breath, fully aware that she still did not know what was happening to her friend, "Not by yourself."

For the second time in as many days, Jacen felt the urge to rush to his former girlfriend and envelope her in a huge embrace, in not so many words, Danni had told him that she was on his side, that she _believed_ in him. Willing himself to remain where he was, he nodded slowly. "How long do you plan on staying on Coruscant? What are your plans for the future?"

_I plan on saving you from yourself. _Instead, she blinked at his change of topic. Apparently, the Solo kids were _really_ good at changing the direction of a conversation. "I need to go to Commenor for a few days." It was not really a lie, she did plan on traveling to her home planet, she just left out the fact that she was going to make a couple of other stops afterwards.

Jacen gave her a respectful nod, "You're going find your father?"

Smiling a sad smile, Danni replied softly, "Well, what happened to him at least." She was relieved that she did not have to explain why she wanted to go. Her father had remained on Commenor when the planet fell and because he was a government official, even if it was just a mid-level agent in the revenue service, the Vong had placed him in a 'special' detention camp, never to be heard from again.

"And after?" Jacen asked, breaking her reverie.

"I don't know…travel the galaxy, learn new things…" she answered smugly while looking at Jacen _very_ pointedly.

The GAG Colonel laughed good-naturedly as he sat back down on the couch and Danni noticed the same sparkle of mischief she had seen once or twice last night. Shaking his head, "I deserved that." He paused and his look turned serious, "I know the Dean of Chemistry at IC, and he mentioned in passing once that the mathematics department is _always_ looking for adjunct professors. I can inquire about the physics department, if you wish."

He was trying to keep his voice neutral, but Danni could hear his hopeful tone. A job _would_ be handy; it would allow her to stay on Coruscant to keep an eye on Jacen without burning through all of her credits. Suddenly, his off-hand comment registered fully, and she paused before sitting down, narrowing her green eyes, "Why do you know the Dean of Chemistry?"

After waiting for Danni to sit down, he started to explain, "Well, I've been trying to get one of my former students into Med School…." he continued to explain about Jysella, about meeting with the professors at Imperial College to get a couple of exemptions, about meeting with Mirax about Jysella being a doctor, about lobbying various Jedi Masters to get Jysella a sabbatical, about his plan to better integrate the Jedi into society.

"Am I part of this plan?"

Just as he had with Jysella Horn, he answered Danni's question with one of his own, "Do you remember how we met?"

Frowning slightly at his changing the subject _again_, she nodded once, "Of course." Like she could forget that day; Jacen had been so very brave, so selfless, so…dashing that day. In the dark part of her memory she tried her best to pretend did not exist, she knew that she was going to die that day; that the Vong had run out of games to play and that her and Miko were at the end. Then Jacen entered her life, his sword glowing with the _rightness_ of his cause, his face beaming with the belief that the good guys always win, that there were still pretty damsels to rescue, that life was…fair. Whatever Jacen had done, or might yet do, he had saved…_her, _a nobody astronomer working for an unknown research firm at the edge of nowhere. If not for the heroics of Jacen and Jaina Solo, Danni would have never lived to see her twenty-second birthday; of course she remembered how they met.

For a long moment, Jacen stared at the blonde woman, content to leave her to her memories. Quietly clearing his throat, he gave her a small smile as her attention snapped back to him. "Jaina and I felt someone calling for help. At the time, we thought it was Miko," he continued to look at her intently, " but we were wrong. It was…" taking her hand, he continued, "…you." He paused as her green eyes widened in shock with the truth behind her rescue. "After Jaina picked us up, I remember thinking how _strong_ you were, about how great a Jedi you could become." He paused again, allowing his words to sink in. "After you 'joined' us, I assumed that others would notice your talent and take you on as an apprentice, but no one did; not really." Jacen looked down at the floor, ashamed of what had happened all those years ago, embarrassed that all of those Jedi Masters had not bothered to teach Danni Quee, the smartest woman they were ever likely to meet, _anything_ about the Force. If not for Tahiri, Danni would still have the Force ability of the table in front of him. Turning his attention back to Danni, "We failed you, Danni. _I_ failed you. I should have said something to them, but no one was listening to Jacen Solo at the time." He smiled sadly and continued softly, "No one listens now."

"I will." Danni replied softly, "But I won't be a replacement for…_her_."

"Of course not."

Danni stared into his eyes for a long moment, as if hoping to discern the future in his brandy-browns. Before she could stop herself, "Can you teach me how to flow-walk?"

For the second time in two nights, Danni managed to get the full 'Jacen' smile, and she was so pleased with herself that she completely missed his reply. Only when she noticed he was standing in front of her expectantly did she finally catch up with the 'lesson'.

Taking his hand, she stood next to him as he started to explain the technique; "We start by immersing ourselves into the Force…"

Jacen was surprised at how quickly his new apprentice could pick things up; Danni was able to see the patterns of 'time' much faster than he ever had been able to. It had taken him three or four attempts to be able to discern the pattern, and she had done it right away. In hindsight, Jacen realized that he should not have been so surprised; her job had been to look for obscure patterns all of her life. Deciding to keep it simple on the first lesson, he had Danni flow them back to the evening prior; knowing what to look for would make the lesson easier. Showing a surprising amount of control, Danni managed to stop their 'travel' right about the time the two of them entered her suite. The two of them watched transfixed as the 'old' Danni once again launched herself at him, the door slamming much louder than they remembered. With a wry grin, he watched as she unzipped her skirt the second time, this time making sure to fully appreciate her…

Abruptly the scene disappeared and he saw that Danni had removed her hand from the couch. "That's enough of that, Mr. Peeping Jacen."

Unable to hide his smirk, "You know, I never actually noticed that you have a cute little birthmark right…"

Danni whacked across the shoulder before he could continue. "Stop. Right. There." She said menacingly, but was unable to keep her scowl. As she sat down, her tone turned thoughtful, "How far backwards in time can you go with this?"

As he sat, the GAG officer gave her a shrug, "I don't know really." He thought for a second, "I would assume that you could go for as long as the object you were using was at that location." He looked at her quizzically, "Why?"

"My father." She whispered, hoping that her very real pain at not knowing what had happened to her father would hide her other reason for wanting to know.

Jacen answered with an understanding nod. Anakin's death would forever haunt him, but at least he knew how Anakin died. Giving Danni's small hand a squeeze, "We should probably practice one more time then, so that you can get more comfortable with it." Danni answered with a nod of her own.

The two of them practiced flow-walking for another twenty minutes or so before a huge yawn broke Danni's concentration. Seeing that it was after 4am, Jacen looked warmly at his new apprentice; impressed with how well she had done. "Okay, that's enough for tonight," he commented, trying to suppress a yawn of his own. "You did well."

Danni smiled as she reached up and ruffled his already unruly hair, "I had a good teacher."

By unspoken agreement, Jacen headed for the second of the two bedrooms in Danni's suite. Looking back at his friend, and gave her a warm smile of his own "Thank you, Danni."

The blonde woman nodded in reply as she made her way to her own room.

And so it went for the next few nights; Jacen would come to Danni's suite after work and the two of them would cover whatever Force skill he felt would be of use, break for dinner, and then pick up again for a couple more hours before heading to bed. They covered Force levitation (a problem area for her), the shatterpoint technique, and even the basics of how to absorb blaster fire with her hand. They quickly developed an easy instructor-student rapport; he would not let her get frustrated with her levitation troubles, and she continued to challenge him with pointed 'why' questions about the nature of the Force. It was not until months later that it dawned on him that his fatalistic visions had stopped the day Danni Quee agreed to be his apprentice.

* * *

A/N: Flame-fusion machines _are_ real and _are_ used to create synthetic semi-precious stones. (Diamonds are a different matter, they need a HUGE amount of pressure as well). I really don't have any idea what they look like, so I guessed. The only picture I found on wikipedia was one of the first ones made, way back in the late 1800s.

We only know of two visions in LotF, but I don't think it unreasonable to think that Jacen had others. Perhaps he thought they them to be results of what he didn't do instead of what he did, perhaps he thought he could change what he saw, or perhaps he knew (as some think) what was going to happen by following this path and realized that his 'sacrifice' was really going to be himself.

Jacen's comments about Danni being a 'great Jedi' are paraphrased from _Vector Prime_. If memory serves, there was a two-book set centering on Danni that got dropped from NJO. Tahiri and Danni lived together for five years on Zonoma, so I don't think it unreasonable to think that the younger Jedi found time to teach her friend a thing or two about the Force.

As always, thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12--Take this Job and

**Chapter 12—Take this job and…**

A/N: Another relatively short chapter. I am stealing another one of Hexterah's characters for this and subsequent chapters-Anhaje is reprising her role as the Queen Mother's secretary and is used with permission. According to _The Feigned_, Anhaje is a year or two older than Tenel Ka. Once again, if you like Jacen/Tenel Ka stories, give it a look; her website is pretty neat.

There is a scene that I originally had in this chapter, but it didn't really seem to work with the overall flow of the story. However, because I like the message it sends, I've added it at the end. Yes, I stole this idea from Origami Fish. Another shameless plug, if you haven't read _A Destiny Altered_, give it a look; his AU is one where Anakin gets to kiss Tahiri above Myrkr and it changes the course of the war.

* * *

Forty-one days before….well, you know.

Jacen accompanied Danni out of his apartment complex as she left to go check out of her hotel. Opening the door to the cab that he had called, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Be careful." He said earnestly, earning a smirk at his protectiveness. "Call me from Commenor. Please."

Danni started, hearing the loneliness in his voice. Smiling, she replied, "I will. Think about what I said." Jacen nodded once as he closed the door and gave her a wave as the cab pulled into traffic.

As he watched her cab disappear, Jacen realized that his mind was a jumbled mess: He liked spending time with Danni, and he was aware of her feelings towards him, but until he could resolve what his relationship was with Tenel Ka he did not want the blonde scientist to believe that there was more to 'them' than there was. Lumiya was going to have a fit when she learned about all of his doubts. _Kriff, what am I going to do about her_? He sighed as he left the apartment complex and started to walk (Danni's habit was rubbing off on him) the three kilometers to his office; he would deal with the Sith Lord when the time came. Danni's admonishment came back into his thoughts, _Be better_. How? Suddenly, in a moment of clarity, a shocking realization came to him. _Why do I need to be a Sith?_ He had learned from the Clans on Dathomir, but was not a Nightsister; he had learned from the Ang-Tii, but was not a monk; learning from the Jensaarai had not made him one of them. Why did learning from a Sith make him one? Their methods were just another facet of Force knowledge that he could add to his bag of tricks. The characteristic Solo half-grin formed on his face, as an idea came to him, "Yes, that's a start."

_Who are you?_ Vergere's voice asked, mirth evident in her voice.

"I am Jacen Solo!" He exclaimed loudly to everybody and nobody, earning several quizzical looks from passers-by. The Vergere in his head only smiled in response.

O O(_)O O

37 days…

On his way to the Senate Admin Building, Jacen stopped at the florists, as was his Wednesday habit. When his mother was Chief-of-State, she had flowers delivered to her personal secretary once a week, so when Jacen started as head of the GAG, he continued the tradition. "Colonel Solo!" The elderly owner of the small shop smiled as he greeted Jacen, "Wednesday already?" Jacen only shrugged. The owner continued, "The usual?" Marné loved tulips, so Jacen usually obliged.

The young Colonel scowled thoughtfully, "Not this time Mr. Doolaard. Why don't you surprise us today." The owner beamed at him as he went to find something out of the ordinary.

Mr. Doolaard came back with a small assortment of flowers that Jacen did not remember seeing before, but that was not too big a surprise. Like many men, flowers came in three types to Jacen: tulips, roses, …and everything else. "These are called 'tiger lilies'." The shop owner explained. "I guarantee that Marné will like them."

Jacen smiled, "I'll take your word for it!"

Marné Pelletier was just sitting down at her desk, when her boss walked into their office, smiling. "Tiger lilies!" Jacen announced and placed the assortment on her desk. "Mr. Doolaard said that you would like these." he chirped, giving her a wink.

Ms. Pelletier looked at Jacen dubiously, "And you are...?" Her boss chuckled at her question. Marné had always thought Jacen a good person to work for: he was polite, fair, and he always treated her respectfully; but he was always so…serious-she did not know what to make of this smiling, slightly flirtatious man in her office.

Jacen only grinned. "Can you do me a favor? Check to see if the Chief has some free time this morning. I only need ten minutes."

Marné picked up her comlink and started to dial, "Sure thing boss."

"Thanks." He replied, his grin staying on his face as he made his way into his office. Taking off his uniform jacket, he sat behind his desk and pulled up the letter that he had been working on until late the night before. Thoughtfully, he said to himself; "Yes, it's time."

A minute later, Marné strode into Jacen's office; "Chief Omas has a free fifteen minutes at 0925." Jacen checked the chrono on his wrist: 0855. Enough time to get there, but only just, it was about a fifteen-minute walk to the Chief of State's office, after all.

"Bloody hell." He mumbled, as he put his jacket on again and printed the document from his terminal.

As Jacen placed the document into his briefcase and made for the office exit, Ms. Pelletier imposed herself into his path. "Do you mind telling me what this is all about?" Concern filled her voice, and he could see pleading in her violet eyes.

His eyes studied her pretty face as he took a deep breath; aside from Tenel Ka and Danni Quee, there was no one he trusted more than Marné Pelletier. Grinning at her again, "Not yet. Soon; but not right now."

That seemed to satisfy her for the time being, and she stepped aside allowing him to leave. Jacen nodded his thanks and left the office.

Walking across the trapezoidal plaza that separated the Admin Building from the rebuilt Senate, Jacen pulled a comlink out of his jacket pocket and dialed. Hearing the other person answer, "Hi Mom, it's Jacen…"

O O(_)O O

Leia Organa-Solo disconnected the comlink clearly lost in thought as she stood leaning on the kitchen counter. Han came out of their upstairs bedroom, buttoning his blue short sleeve shirt as he made his way down the stairs. "Who was that?"

"Jacen." she replied absently, her left thumb playing with her bottom lip. "He wants to meet this afternoon."

"Jacen?" Han repeated quietly. They had not spoken to their son in some time, and that fact was weighing heavily on their relationship. Han knew that Jacen had always been Leia's favorite, and he could see a flash of pain in her eyes whenever they got together with Jaina. He continued into the kitchen and stood in front of is wife. "Did he say what he wanted?"

Leia took a deep breath and turned to her husband, "No. He just asked me to meet him at a café in Monument Plaza."

Concern was evident on her husband's weathered face as he tried to sound casual, "Do you want some backup?" They no longer knew what their son was capable of, not anymore. "I can cancel my meeting with Mirax."

The former Princess shook her head, "No. You go ahead. I'm not so old that I can't handle our son."

"Okay." Han looked at his wife seriously and said cautiously, "Take your lightsaber, though. Just in case." With that, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and left to go to his meeting with Talon Karrde and Mirax Horn.

Leia only nodded, staring sightlessly out the window, clearly lost in her thoughts.

O O(_)O O

Jacen left Cal Omas' office not in as good a mood as he expected. Chief Omas had reacted to Jacen's letter well enough, only offering token suggestions for the final draft. In fact, it seemed as if Omas knew that it was coming. No, that part of the meeting went well enough; it was the conversation afterwards that left a bitter taste in Jacen's mouth. _They are _not_ going to like this._

As he made his way down the curved marble hallway towards the lift, he checked his chrono: 0955. Doing the quick math, he determined that she might still be in her office. Sighing to himself, Colonel Solo stopped in front of a large window overlooking the dramatic Coruscanti cityscape and pulled the comlink out of his pocket. For the second time that morning, he dialed a number that he hadn't called in a while: Tenel Ka's office. "Good evening Anhaje, this is Colonel Solo. Does the Queen Mother have a minute?"

O O(_)O O

From his seat at the outside café, Jacen discretely watched his mother approach from across the plaza. Because he had grown up in her household, he never really paid attention to just how regal she always appeared. A small smile crossed his face. _She truly is a lovely woman._ When he was younger, he wanted to be just like her: Leia never got flustered, and never, ever, allowed anyone to intimidate her, not even her husband. Jacen chuckled at the memories flowing into his subconscious. As she got closer, Jacen could see the wariness in her eyes and he felt a sudden pang of guilt, a mother should never be wary of her own son. The young Colonel sighed sadly, this was just another relationship that he sacrificed for the greater good. Where would it end? _Here. It ends here. Today._ Danni was right: he could save the galaxy, one person-one relationship at a time. _Be better_. Her quote was starting to become a mantra.

Leia watched her son watching her as she made her way across Monument Plaza and felt a twang of loneliness. She would never admit it to anyone, but Jacen was always her favorite child. Alone among the Solo kids, Jacen understood that compassion did not equal weakness, that being empathetic was not the same as being traitorous. Jaina and Anakin were always more like Han: quick to action, damn the repercussions. _A trait that had gotten Anakin killed_. She quickly pushed that sad thought away. Jacen was always trying to think things through; trying to find an alternative solution. Her son used to represent everything she wanted the Jedi Order to be: thoughtful, measured, fair. _What happened?_ Leia hated what the war had done to her son, to the Order.

As she got closer to the table, Jacen stood and did the last thing that she expected him to do: he gave her a hug. Jacen chuckled at her confusion, as she slowly hugged him in return. "Thanks for coming, Mom." He released his hug and they both sat at the metal table. "How's Dad?" he asked seriously.

Leia allowed a frown, "Your father is…" she didn't know how to explain Han's feelings. On one hand, he was proud that so many Coruscantis admired his son for 'keeping the peace', but he was ashamed by Jacen's roundup of his fellow Corellians. Instead, she offered a small shrug.

She expected Jacen to get angry, instead he just gave her a small nod of acceptance. Before he could say anything, a waiter approached, asking if they wanted anything. Jacen ordered a chai tea, and nodded to Leia, who asked for a caf. They both watched as the waiter made his way inside to get their drinks. Jacen turned back to his mother, "I wanted to meet with you to talk about a couple of things." He paused slightly, "And to ask for a favor."

Leia sighed; she was hoping he was going to try to reconcile their already strained relationship. "So, what's the favor?"

Jacen caught her resigned mood and smiled. "It is actually related to topic one." He lowered his voice; "I have resigned as head of the GAG effective at the end of next month."

Leia's mouth opened in shock. With all that had happened in her life, she was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to be surprised anymore. Jacen just proved that it was. Trying to find her voice, all she could think to say was, "Why?"

A genuine look of sadness crossed his face, as he nodded a 'thank you' to the young waiter who had returned with their drinks. "A friend pointed out that many people are concerned about the direction that the GAG is headed." He looked pointedly at his mother, who harbored those same thoughts. "Since I am the one leading the GAG in that direction, it dawned on me that new leadership is needed." Leia could only nod once in agreement. "I told Chief Omas the same thing this morning." Cal Omas did not want to accept Jacen's resignation, he was all too aware of Colonel Solo's popularity on Coruscant. Omas had pressured him to stay an additional month to ease the transition and Jacen relented only out of a sense of duty to his troops.

Leia took a sip of her caf, more to give her time to think than anything else. "What will become of the GAG now?"

Jacen ran his left hand over his chin and looked down at his tea, thinking on how to phrase his response. "My recommendation to Chief Omas was to roll the GAG into Alliance Intelligence as a domestic investigations branch. Captain Shevu is a top-notch investigator, and would be an asset to the Intelligence branch." He chuckled humorously and looked Leia in the eye, "Essentially, I told Omas to disband the organization."

The former Chief-of-State looked at her son thoughtfully as he took a sip of his tea. "So-o-o, what's next for you? Did your dream job open up?" She asked, her eyes twinkling. She knew that Jacen still had strong feelings for a certain Queen. At one time, he would have dropped everything to be her Prince Consort. Somehow, Leia doubted that had changed. All Tenel Ka had to do was ask.

Jacen gave his mother a knowing look and shook his head, chuckling. "Nope. That job still goes unfilled _and_ unadvertised." He paused, taking another sip of tea, and watched as a group of school kids walked by, apparently on a field trip. "Anyway, I've been offered a job to act as the fundraising coordinator for _Musical Scores_."

Leia's eyebrows shot up in disbelief; _Musical Scores_ was a well-known charity that raised money for Coruscant's under-privileged kids to get more involved in music. There were several studies done that suggested that kids who were involved in music did better in school, and _Musical Scores_ tried to make music accessible to more kids. _How did he get_ that _job_? Suddenly, she remembered Jacen's 'date' a few evenings previous; a date in which he had attended a black-tie fundraiser with Gorah Dibbon, the director of _Musical Scores_-the same Gorah Dibbon that Jacen had had a large crush on as a teen. Her son was _full _of surprises today. "Is this where that 'favor' comes in? You need me to pull a couple of stings?" She tried to sound flippant, but deep down, she was proud of her only son. Leia was proud that he realized his limitations. Proud that he could step back and reassess the situation. Jacen could be _good_ at the political game, and fundraising was _definitely _political.

Leia loved Jaina, of course, but she never understood her. Jaina was so much like Han that they used to joke that somehow the twins' personality got swapped in the womb. Han taught all of his kids how to fly, and fix, the _Falcon_, but he had always spent more time doing so with Jaina and Anakin. Now, it was Leia's turn to teach her son. With her help, Jacen could do a great many things. With her help, he could use this role as a stepping-stone to bigger, better things.

Jacen could almost hear the wheels turning in his mother's head. He smiled at her obvious plotting. "Yes, I'd like you to pull a couple of strings, but not for me. Not just yet." He could see the confusion on Leia's face. "My personal assistant…" He paused, thinking, "Secretary? I am not sure what to call her…" He shook his head, "Anyway, Marné knows quite a bit about me, and that might make her a target to some. I'd like to get her out of the GAG." He sighed, regretting the danger that his assistant might be in. "I was hoping that you might know of someone who could use a smart, hard-working…very pretty, secretary."

Leia smiled, thinking back to her little boy that seemingly always put other's needs ahead of his own; glad that the Vong hadn't changed him completely. "What _is_ it with you and pretty girls?" She paused, watching him squirm a bit. Jacen only offered her a small shrug. Leia supposed that growing up with a twin sister had made him predisposed to having female friends. Suddenly, it dawned on her that Jaina was exactly the opposite-most of her friends were men. _Interesting_. Her tone became one of mock hurt; "You don't want my help, then?"

Jacen knew his mother was keeping her tone light, but that she was hurt by his apparent unwillingness to accept her help. With an earnestness that stirred Leia's heart he said, "I do. When I get started in the job, I plan on calling you for advice almost daily." He could see the corners of Leia's mouth raise, just a little. He smiled back, "However, you are still a big gun here on Coruscant. I'd hate to draw it out on something as mundane as finding a few credits." Leia snorted at Jacen's use of one of Han's sayings. He continued drily, "I _am _a Colonel in the Galactic Alliance Guard, I would hope that opens a few doors."

Jacen gave Leia a wry smile as she took another sip of caf. "By the way, Anakin was the _real_ smoothie out of the three of us. Girls would've been beating down your door."

Leia chuckled as she put her cup down. "Nah. Tahiri would've stopped them."

Jacen's eyes sparkled. "Some of them, maybe. Quantity has a quality all of its own."

For a couple of minutes, they sat in silence watching people mill around Monument Plaza; both of them lost in recollections of Anakin. Finally, Leia broke the easy silence. "You said a couple of things. What else do you want to discuss?"

Jacen let out a long breath. _Now the bad news_. "I had a talk with Chief Omas after I tended my resignation." He paused as the waiter stopped by wondering if they needed anything at the time. Shaking his head at the waiter, Jacen continued, "He informed me about the increased opposition to the Jedi in the Senate. Omas feels that he will need to reduce funding to the Order to appease this minority." Leia suppressed a grimace; she had been expecting something like this for a while now. Jacen pressed on, "He was curious about my opinion in the matter."

"Why you?" It was no secret that Jacen and the Order were at odds; why would Omas ask Jacen's opinion?

Jacen only offered a slight shrug. "Two reasons: One, I was already in his office." Leia rolled her eyes. _Line-of-sight tasking_. "Two, I am the only Jedi that answers directly to him." He saw Leia nod as she took another sip of her beverage, waiting for him to elaborate. "Anyway, I told him that I agree with the cuts."

The look that he got from his mother was one that he hadn't seen since he was fourteen and he and Jaina tried to sneak in after curfew. Disappointment filled her voice, "Just because you don't agree with the Council, it is no reason to…."

Jacen interrupted, "It is not because I simply disagree." He scowled. Surely things have not disintegrated to the point where the Jedi Council would think him that shallow. "You've been around the galaxy, Mom. You know that there are _billions_ of beings still residing in refugee camps." Leia nodded. He continued; frustrated with the Jedi Order, with the GFFA, with life in general, "There are Force-only-knows how many kids that don't have a school to go to. What kind of future are we going to have?"

He paused slightly, "I talked to Danni yesterday, and she estimates that a full _third_ of Commenor still needs to be rebuilt. And it is a _core_ world. What is like out on the rim?"

Leia could only contemplate the fate of hundreds of worlds, billions of beings. _Wait, did he say Danni? When did _she_ return?_ Jacen was continuing, ire filling his voice, "And the Jedi spends _how_ much to rebuild the temple? I find that embarrassing."

His mother finally found her voice, "Embarrassing? Why? People need symbols."

Jacen reached into an inside jacket pocket of his uniform and pulled out his lightsaber, placing it on the table. "This is the symbol of the Jedi, Mom. Not that." He said angrily, pointing to the Jedi Temple, its spires just visible through a gap in the buildings surrounding Monument Plaza. His voice took on of sadness, "I find it reprehensible that more people know what I do for them in this uniform," gesturing to himself, "than that one." He pointed at Leia, who was uncharacteristically wearing her brown Jedi robes. Jacen sighed, "The public doesn't understand what the Jedi are about."

"Luke and I once had a conversation like this with Borsk Fela'ya." Leia retorted angrily. "We do not need to explain ourselves to everyone."

Jacen leaned back in his chair, clearly exasperated. "You _do_ need to explain yourselves if you're asking them," he gestured to the throngs of people on the square, "to pay for it. I don't think that the public is getting their money's worth out of the Jedi. For that, I am embarrassed."

Leia stretched out with the Force to gauge his intent. She was mildly surprised, and secretly glad, that she did not sense any deceit behind his words. He truly believed that the credits being spent currently on the Jedi could be better spent elsewhere. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. "Why are you telling me this, Jacen?"

He looked at his mother, "So that the Council has some forewarning. This WILL happen, Mom; the Council needs to accept this." He saw acceptance in her eyes. Jacen smiled sweetly again, knowing that his next comment would _really_ make her mad. "Also, tell them that I _just_ talked to the Queen Mother of Hapes, and that she does not feel inclined to increase her funding above its present level." Leia mouth fell in shock; she had _no_ idea that Tenel Ka was helping to fund the Order. Her son continued, his tone carefully neutral, "Funding that is coming from her personal accounts, by the way, and has been for four years."

Leia did not know what to say and the more she thought about what Jacen just told her, the more enraged she became. She was furious that the Council would dare impose upon a fellow Jedi like that, especially one that they had kicked out of the Order. _No one_ used her friends like that. In an icy tone that Jacen knew was not directed towards himself, Leia calmly said, "Next time you talk to Tenel Ka, tell her to cease funding the Order effective at the end of next month." Jacen looked at her quizzically. "Tell her." Leia reiterated, in a tone that made it sound like an order. Jacen knew better than to question THAT tone. Leia's tone softened, "The Council won't like this."

"No." Jacen agreed, "And they will likely blame me."

Leia only nodded, lost in thought. The former Chief of State had just found her next crusade. Looking at her son again, "Would you like to share a dessert? I want to hear about Danni."

Jacen laughed, shaking his head. "Deal. But you have to fill me in on Jaina!"

A/N: I don't think that Jacen leaving the GAG is _that_ big a stretch. He was wrestling with his decision for the first three books, and if he had had someone in his corner to talk to—things could have gone differently. Conversely, if the Head of the Jedi Order had told his nephew that he wanted all Jedi out of the executive branch, Jacen would have removed himself from the Galactic Alliance Guard; he wouldn't have risked a confrontation with his uncle at this early stage. As we know, no such order was issued. Now, on to my 'deleted scene'-again, many thanks to all who continue to read my story.

Oh, the bit about kids and music...there are studies that DO suggest that kids who are involved in music are more involved in school.

O O(_)O O

….the evening prior, Danni had invited him to watch a three-man percussion group. As they walked to the small theatre, (Danni walked _everywhere; _he supposed it was because of her time on Zonoma.) Jacen confided to her that he was going to lobby for the Alliances' newest Star Destroyer to be named the _Anakin Solo_…

"Are you out of your bloody mind?" Danni yelled, her eyes wide with shock.

"My brother was a hero." Jacen shot back, stopping abruptly on the sidewalk, both of them ignoring the shocked stares of several passersby. "People need to remember that."

"By naming a Star Destroyer after him?" Danni retorted. She pressed on before he could interrupt, "How many other Jedi have a ship of the line named for them?" Jacen glared at her but remained silent; they both knew that there were none. Danni started to walk again, and Jacen had to take a quick couple of strides to catch up. She glared at him and continued ranting, "You are insulting hundreds of years of Navy tradition by even asking." She shook her head, disgusted; "Admirals tend to have _long_ memories…it will take you years to regain their trust after this stunt."

His voice turned cold, "They can be replaced." _Damn her and her logic_.

"Not by you. Not yet" She snapped back. Danni's eyes softened, "I know how much you miss your brother, but the fact is: Anakin didn't do anything that was any more special than hundreds of other troopers."

Anger again crossed his face as he stopped again and started to yell at her, "My brother…"

She calmly interrupted before he could finish, "Died saving you. I know." Danni took his hand and started walking. "Have you ever heard of a Lance Corporal Lancelot Sunrider?" Jacen only looked at her quizzically before shaking his head. "He was awarded, posthumously, the _Croix Pour le Mérite _for counter-attacking into a Vong ambush, allowing his squad to retreat from their position." Danni paused a moment, letting her words sink in. "How about Second Lieutenant Aimee L'Enfant?" Danni paused again, looking for any reaction; Jacen remained stone-faced. "She was awarded the _Distinguished Flying Cross_, also posthumously, for single-handedly taking on an entire flight of coralskippers, delaying them long enough for the troop transport that she was escorting to escape." The blonde woman looked again at her companion, only to see a mask of non-emotion and kept up her assault, "How about Master Chief Alejandro…"

"Stop…" Jacen said quietly, his anger forgotten as he ashamedly hung his head. "Stop. I get it."

Danni stopped and took both of his hands in her own. "Jacen, no one outside of their families remembers_ them_, either." Danni said quietly. "Do not disrespect what _they_ did by naming a capital ship after Anakin." He slowly raised his head and looked down into her vibrant green eyes and nodded. Danni let his hands drop as they turned and continued walking.

After a couple of blocks with neither of them saying anything, Jacen said in a small voice, "I need to do _something_ so people will remember him."

Danni stopped, took both of his hands again and with her voice full of concern, whispered, "Be better." Danni was shocked to see Jacen's eyes start to water. Smiling slightly, she continued, "There is an old proverb on Commenor: He who saves one, saves the world entire." She raised her right hand to wipe his right eye, "Do that. I was wrong before: you _can_ save the galaxy. You just have to do it one person at a time." Stabbing him in the chest with her right index finger, she said quietly, "Start here."

O O(_)O O


	13. Chapter 13--The More things change

**Chapter 13—The More things change…**

A/N: This chapter and the next one take place on Hapes. These, and the chapter previous, form one long chapter in my text. However, after posting several chapters of over ten thousand words, I'm trying to keep them to a more manageable (i.e.: _readable_) length. But, because they all form one chapter in my draft, I'll publish them relatively close together to keep the flow of the story. This chapter will introduce another character I borrowed from Hexterah's _The Feigned_, Tenel Ka's secretary Anhaje. Both her and Gadell Vessau are used with permission. Once again, thanks to all who are reading and following. Special thanks to Onimi, 'Sabre, and Boris.

* * *

35 days prior...

"No, I _don't_ have a landing permit. I am trying to get an appointment to see the Queen Mother." Danni rolled her eyes, explaining all of this for the _second_ time. "According to _your_ Diplomatic Clearance Guide on file with Commenor Air Traffic Control, a landing permit is not needed for this location."

The woman on the other end of the radio, the shift supervisor Danni surmised, answered in a clipped, authoritative voice. "Prior permission has always been required here. We mistakenly omitted this requirement in the last publication and posted a Notice to Airman to rectify the oversight yesterday. You _are_ required to check these prior to filing a flight plan, are you not?" The shift supervisor could not keep the condescension from her voice.

Danni was starting to get really annoyed. "I _did_ check the NOTAMs before I left. You _are_ aware that this a forty-year-old ship and that it is a _two_-day flight from Commenor to Hapes in this thing, right?" The airwaves were suddenly silent for about five seconds.

More politely, the controller replied, "Please hold at SABRE intersection, standard turns, expect further clearance in one-five minutes." A slight pause, "What is your name, I will need it for verification with Commenor."

"Quee, Danni Quee." Danni exhaled, trying to calm her voice, "_Belkadan Survivor _holding at SABRE, standard turns, further clearance in fifteen. Thank you." Her mother always told her that being polite never cost anything.

"You're welcome _Survivor_. I will get back to you momentarily." Danni could hear the smile in the controller's voice.

O O(_)O O

Tenel Ka, dressed in what she considered her 'everyday Monarch attire' consisting of an ivory v-neck button-down blouse and a navy skirt, was sitting at the head of a large oval table with three other important-looking people in an alcove off of what was still referred to as the 'Throne Room', even though there had not been an actual 'throne' in close to a century. This large room, with a rich parquet floor, was Her Majesty's official office. Located on the second floor of the palace, overlooking the majestic fountains, sat directly above the formal ballroom. In fact, hidden on the left wall was a doorway that opened to a private passageway that led both up to the residence and down a set of narrow stairs to the ballroom. Her large mahogany desk was at the center of the room directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the entire rear wall. Off to the right was a sitting area with two leather wingback chairs and a comfortable-looking love seat surrounding a modest coffee table. At the front-left corner of the office was the twenty-person table where she now sat. This table was used to conduct official meetings with her various ministers, as well as semi-official lunches and was currently being used in the former capacity: the topic being _Through-put of Hapan Cargo Ports_. Present were the Deputy Minister of Transportation for Space Ports, the Deputy Minister of Transportation for Logistics, and the head of the Hapan Space Port Alliance, a commercial trade-group made up of the managers of Hapan cargo ports. _Ugh_, _this meeting is even more boring than the report I read last night to prep for it. If anyone needs the cure for insomnia, I've found it. _

The severe-looking older woman, to Tenel Ka's left, dressed in an even more severe-looking grey business skirt, continued: "If you look at page 515, appendix B, your majesty, you will find that the cargo-handling ability of Lorell is twice that of the port here in the capital. It is unsatisfactory to have such a provincial city boasting a larger port than our own."

Tenel Ka pulled up the page on her datapad, more to humor the woman than anything. She _had_ read the report, after all. "So it would seem." She looked back at the woman. "However, Lorell is our main manufacturing center, and has twice the population. Furthermore," she looked back to the datapad to pull up one of her bookmarked pages, "if you care to take a look at page 226, you would find that the port here at the capital still operates at 30% below max capacity. Even factoring in projected population growth of 1-2% a year, the cargo port here still has a number of years before we need to spend hard-earned tax dollars on expansion of the port facilities." She paused for effect. "You would have been better served asking for money for upgrades to the existing port infrastructure." Tenel Ka then allowed her voice to get an edge. "Of course, on page 324, you would've found that this government just spent 550 _million_ credits to upgrade the capital's port not five years ago." Her voice now icy, "Did your office not expect me to _read _this report?" Tenel Ka was interrupted by a knock on the office door. Sighing, she said crisply, "Enter."

Commander Vessau poked his head through the door. "Your Majesty, do you have a moment?"

"As long as it is more important than this." Tenel Ka bit out angrily, as she waved her hand at the three women at the table. She got up to meet with her security chief in her outer office, leaving the three women at the table with shell-shocked looks.

Gadell closed the door to her office, stopping in front the desk of her secretary, Anhaje. "Meeting going well?"

Tenel Ka sighed bitterly, "Honestly, they think that they can overload me with facts to get me to consent to spend millions of credits on a project that we do not need, and that, in all likelihood, line the pockets of their friends and family." She forced herself to relax, because she found herself getting even more angry thinking about what had transpired in her office. "Apparently, they do not think that a single mom has time to read." Taking a deep breath, she mentally shifted gears. "Pray tell, what crisis has come up to drag me away from this 'important' meeting?"

Gadell smiled. One of the many things that he admired about the Queen Mother was her ability to compartmentalize mentally. She was good at it when she was younger; she was exceptional at it now. Motioning to the young woman hanging back by the door, "This is Ensign Kenara Do'ma, she is the shift supervisor for Approach Control. She is tracking an incoming shuttle that doesn't have a landing permit. For now, it is in a holding pattern over SABRE Intersection. SABRE is..."

Tenel Ka's head drooped as she gave Gadell an exasperated look. "Yes, I know where it is. Please tell me you did not drag me out here for a minor ATC infraction?"

Gadell had the decency to look chagrined, "That is what I first thought when Ensign Do'ma came to me. I'll let her explain."

Tenel Ka nodded and looked over at the ensign. _She's a shift supervisor? She can't be more than, what, 23?_ "Very well. Ensign?"

Clearly flustered by being in the Queen Mother's office, Ensign Do'ma, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, due to a clerical error in our last published Diplomatic Clearance Guide, we left out our requirement for pre-coordinated permission to land, a 'landing permit' in pilot jargon. It has since been rectified, using the Notice to Airman, or NOTAM, system." She paused.

Tenel Ka, being a decent pilot herself, understood the terminology thus far. She was still confused why this would concern her office. "I still fail to understand why you are bringing this to me. What _did_ you come the five kilometers from the spaceport for?"

"Uhh…yes Mum; when we pulled up the flight plan, we saw that it was a _Lambda-_class shuttle arriving from Commenor." This caught Tenel Ka's attention. _Coming from Commenor? In a _Lambda-_Class? _Ensign Do'ma was continuing, "_Lambda_'s are pretty rare these days, we only see one every couple of months or so. And the ones that we do see always has the proper permits and codes."

Tenel Ka nodded, lost in thought. _They'd better have the right codes-I make_ _sure that _he_ gets them_. "What is this shuttle's call-sign? Have they given any indication why they are coming to Hapes?" She asked, more to give herself time to think through possible scenarios than anything.

The ensign nodded, and looked at the palm of her left hand to read a scribbled note, catching the slight smirk of her red-haired monarch. "It is registered as the _Belkadan Survivor_." She tilted her head slightly, "This is where it gets really odd: she is requesting an audience with you." Tenel Ka's forehead wrinkled with this information, clearly puzzled. "That is why I came to Commander Vessau. Why would anyone ask to meet with you over an ATC frequency? It seems either really brazen or very naïve." Tenel Ka nodded, still trying to formulate a plan to deal with this bizarre incident. "Oh, one more thing," Ensign Do'ma added, glancing at her left hand again, "The pilot's name is Danni Quee."

At that, Tenel Ka exhaled a long breath that she did not realize that she was holding and Gadell gave her a strange look. "You know this person?"

"Only by reputation. Have neither of you heard of Danni Quee?" She asked, looking from Gadell to the Ensign.

"Should we have?" blurted Ensign Do'ma, forgetting that she was in the Queen's office. In an instant, her face became one of chagrined shock; she had spoken out of turn, _again._ This time in front of the ruler of the whole damn cluster. "Forgive my outburst, our majesty." _There goes my career. I wonder if Mom still has that opening in her accounting firm._

Tenel Ka gave her a wry half-smile. "Do not apologize. I find your frankness refreshing. If you have not heard of Ms Quee, than that is a shame." She found herself remembering the stories that Saba had told about the Wild Knightz. "She did more to beat the Vong than almost anyone else."

"Do you think that we can trust her?" Gadell asked.

Reaching out lightly with the Force, "I do not sense any duplicity from her." She recalled that Jacen always spoke very highly of Danni during the rare times that they talked about the war and surmised that there might have been something between them, but never wanted to push the issue. Still, Jacen never praised for the sake of it, and he had called Danni 'the wisest, most unselfish person that I have ever known.' "Still, I _am _curious why she is here." _Why would she be coming here? And from Commenor? _She looked over at Ensign Do'ma, "Allow the _Survivor_ to land. Put her on the VIP ramp at the city's spaceport. There is room there, correct?"

"Yes, your majesty, there is room. I will go clear her to land." With that, Ensign Do'ma walked over to the outer office doors to leave.

"One more thing, Kenara." Tenel Ka waited for the ensign to stop. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It would have been far to easy to just assume that the _Survivor_ was the same shuttle that has the correct codes. Are you able to join me for dinner this evening? Say about 1900?"

Kenara Do'ma turned and flashed her a wide smile. "I would love to!" She frowned slightly, "Sorry Mum…but what should I wear?"

_Why do they _always _ask that? _"Business casual is fine, Kenara. I will leave a message with the security desk."

"Thank you, your majesty." Ensign Do'ma turned again to let herself out.

Gadell gave Tenel Ka a warm smile. "You sure do have a way with people."

"Everyone likes to be appreciated for doing the right thing. Coming to you with only a vague feeling that something was wrong could not have been easy." She turned to Anhaje. "When do I have some free time to meet with Ms. Quee?"

"You have a free half-hour at 1:30."

_Well, so much for saber practice today. _Tenel Ka looked at the chrono above the secretary's desk. 11:43. Probably not enough time for Danni to land, finish a post-flight, get to the palace, get changed, and get to the Throne Room.

"What is my last appointment for the day?"

"You have the Deputy Minister of Transportation for Waterway Navigation at 5:30."

Tenel Ka dropped her head, pinched the bridge of her nose with her right hand, and murmured, "I hate my job."

"You should've thought of that before you ran for public office." Gadell noted wryly.

"Fact." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Do me a favor and see what you can find out about Ms. Quee. I know that she has spent most of the last decade doing research on Zonoma Sekot, but I would like to know what else she has been up to."

"Trust, but verify?" Gadell asked innocently.

"Something like that." Tenel Ka said drily, looking back at Anhaje and addressing her in what her daughter called her 'queeny voice', "Okay, move the Navigation woman to 1:30, and put Danni at 5:30. Call protocol and have them pick up Ms. Quee and tell them that they need to arrange a room for her in one of the guest suites. Can you both join me for dinner tonight?" She waited for their nods of acquiescence. "Good. Tell my chef to prepare dinner for" she paused, counting, "six. Something family style. You know I hate pretense." Gadell and Anhaje smiled covertly at each other. _Loathed_ was a more appropriate word for what Tenel Ka felt about formality.

Making the changes to today's calendar, Anhaje nodded, "Done. Anything else?"

"Yes, get me a mop. I'm going to need it to clean up the mess," nodding to her office door, "after I knock their heads around." Tenel Ka walked over to her office door, straightened her back and took a deep breath. She opened the door. Almost yelling, "Okay, one of you had better be able to tell me why I shouldn't jail all THREE of you for trying to defraud MY government out of…" the door slammed. Commander Vessau and Anhaje exchanged a small smirk as Gadell made his way back to his office.

O O(_)O O

Danni showed up to her appointment with Tenel Ka at 5:17. Her mother always taught her to be punctual, plus she knew that one did _not_ keep the Regent of sixty-odd worlds waiting. Her Majesty's secretary, a striking woman of indeterminate age with dark hair and dark blue eyes smiled as Danni opened the outer office glass door. She had heard the stories about Hapan women's almost mythical beauty, but she had dismissed it as just an adolescent schoolboy myth. She was starting to reconsider. _Is _everybody_ here a swimsuit model? _Danni felt positively mousy in her short-sleeved silk burgundy button-down blouse, black pinstriped dress pants, and black pumps. Mentally, she shook her head. "Good afternoon, I'm Danni Quee. I have an appointment to see Her Majesty at 5:30."

Getting up from behind her desk, Anhaje nodded. "Good afternoon Ms. Quee. Her Majesty's previous appointment finished early, so we can go right in." She paused, sizing Danni up. '"Here is how this will work: I will precede you and announce you. After I do, you will walk over to Her Majesty, getting no closer than one meter, and give her a slight curtsey. We know that you are not accustomed to curtseying, just give it you best attempt." She said this with a small smile. "If Her Majesty offers you her hand, you may take it. Do not speak until spoken to." Danni smirked with the last part: her mother had told her the same thing about a million times as a kid and took these instructions in the proper etiquette manner in which it was offered as, not as a slight. "Any questions?" Danni shook her head. "Good. If you will follow me."

She walked over to the door to Tenel Ka's office and entered, Danni following about two steps behind. "Your majesty, may I present Ms. Danni Quee, Emissary for the world of Zonoma Sekot."

Danni's eyes narrowed slightly. _Emissary? I don't recall being offered _that _office._

Tenel Ka looked up from the report that Commander Vessau had managed to compile on Danni. The report revealed nothing out of the ordinary-several trips to Bastion; a couple of dozen or so trips into Csilla, presumably for some time off; nothing to indicate that she had any motives for being here. _What brings you to Hapes?_ Turning off her display, she rose from her seat, stepped to the front of her desk and gave Danni a warm look. "Ms. Quee, it is my honor to welcome you to Hapes." _Interesting-Jacen never told me how pretty Danni is._

As Danni walked the five or so paces across the room, she was immediately struck by the elegance and grace of the Queen Mother and her mind flashed to a memory of herself and Jacen while they were on Mon Calamari years before...

O O(_)O O

...her and Jacen were lounging side-by-side on beach towels on their private balcony overlooking the ocean, enjoying the sun, the waves, and each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she had caught him staring. "Just because I'm the prettiest person that you know, that doesn't mean that you can stare at me all day." She said, coyly.

"In that bikini?" Jacen smirked as he shook his head. "You'd think me dead if I didn't stare. I'm certain that you'd be arrested on seventeen planets in that thing!" He paused, an evil smirk sliding into place, "Besides, you're only the _second_ prettiest girl that I know."

She gasped in mock indignation. "Why you…" As she made a move to punch is left shoulder, Jacen grabbed her wrist, pulling her over on top of him as he chuckled. She struggled to get up, and he started tickling her back. That led to….well, it was a good thing that they were on a _private_ balcony...on the top floor of the hotel.

T

O O(_)O O

At the time, Danni had thought that Jacen was only being…well Jacen. Now, it was clear that he was not; Danni _was_ only the second prettiest girl that Jacen knew. Tenel Ka was _stunning_. From all of the stories that Jacen had told about his best friend, Danni assumed that she was a more of the tomboy type. Rationally, she knew that Tenel Ka was probably pretty; she was half-Hapan after all, but she didn't really expect _stunning._ Though in all fairness, Danni realized that Jacen never described Tenel Ka's looks at all, except to say that it was his fault that she had lost half of her left arm. He always mentioned her eyes, her fearlessness, and her ability to cut straight to the heart of a problem. It was as if Jacen didn't really care if Tenel Ka was beautiful or not.

"Your majesty, I am honored that you would meet with me on such short notice." Danni stopped the required meter from Tenel Ka and offered her best attempt at a curtsey. _She _does_ have pretty eyes. _Rising, she added, "I must confess, I don't recall being added to the Diplomatic Corps' payrolls."

Tenel Ka's grey eyes showed some sparkle as she offered Danni her hand. "The pleasure is mine, I assure you. As you are the head researcher on Sekot, that _does_ make you the emissary, official or not. Come, let us sit." Danni shook the Queen's hand and Tenel Ka guided her guest over to the sitting area of the large office. Tenel Ka took one of the wingback chairs, gesturing to Danni that she should take the loveseat. "Would you like something to drink?"

Not knowing quite how to answer, but thinking it rude to decline, Danni came up with a safe option. "Water would be fine, Your Majesty." Danni sat down as Tenel Ka nodded to Anhaje, who left through the office door. Not knowing how to start this conversation, Danni started with trying to establish a common link. "I don't know if you remember," she paused to nod a thank you to the secretary, who had returned with a crystal pitcher of water, "but we have met in passing once or twice. I think the last time was during the Killik crisis."

Tenel Ka nodded while filling two glasses from the pitcher. "Ah yes: the 'if you are not for us, you are against us' meeting." She gave Danni a knowing look, "I thought that comment to be a bit bush-league. It is my belief that Master Skywalker overstepped his authority on that issue."

Danni was taken aback. She thought that she was the only one who begrudged Luke Skywalker for that. "I wish that others thought as you." Danni said quietly.

Tenel Ka offered a slight half-smile, "We still have time to change his mind. I remember all of your service to the New Republic even if the Jedi don't. I still think it unjust that Master Skywalker forced us out." She paused, taking a drink of water. "So tell me, what brings you to Hapes?"

Danni grimaced. _Here we go._ "Jacen Solo."

Tenel Ka's eyes widened before she could stop herself. _Well, Jacen always said that she was direct. _ Quickly, she narrowed her eyes, "Why would Jedi Solo," she deliberately used his title to infer distance between her and Jacen, "send you here?"

Shaking her head, Danni tried a different approach. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that he had sent me." She paused, trying to decide how much to reveal to a woman that she only knew via a mutual friend. _I flew all the way out here; I might as well put all the cards on the table._ "I've been having Force visions concerning Jacen for a while. Since you were his best friend at the Academy, you were the next logical person to ask about Jacen's travails"

Tenel Ka frowned slightly. "Next person? I'm afraid that you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. You seem to know more about me than I do about you." This was a lie, but she did not want Danni to be able to piece together that she Jacen had been seeing each other regularly for the last five years. "Jacen and I are not as close as we once were." This, sadly, _was_ true. Tenel Ka had grown up with palace intrigue, and so the ability to hide the truth inside of lies had almost become second nature. A part of her psyche recoiled at this side of being the queen. "What was the nature of this vision?" The younger woman asked, allowing concern to creep into her voice. From what she knew, Danni was not the type to fly all the way out to Hapes unless is was something big.

After taking a drink of water, Danni recounted the lightsaber dual. Danni left out the name 'Nelani' and her getting killed. She also left off the vision of the galaxy burning; she still wasn't sure how much she could reveal to the Queen Mother of Hapes. Tenel Ka caught on that there was more to the story than Danni was willing to share. Unfortunately, the 'Throne Room' was not the place to delve into such stories. Leaning forward in her chair to replace her glass on the coffee table, she caught Danni's eye and glanced furtively around the room as she said quickly with her lips barely moving, "We cannot discuss this further here." Leaning back, seeing that Danni had caught on to the message, she continued as if the previous remark had never happened, "Interesting. Force visions about the future are inherently inaccurate." Tenel Ka seemed to downplay the significance of what Danni had seen. Reaching through the force, she tried to convey to Danni that she _was_ worried, but could not be seen as such. "It seems, though, that my day is at an end. Seeing that you did fly all the way out here, I would hate to make it an empty trip. It would be my pleasure to invite you to my quarters for dinner. Is 6:30 satisfactory?" Danni nodded. " Excellent. I will see you then." Tenel Ka rose out of her chair and extended her hand as Danni, too, rose. As the two women shook hands, Tenel Ka whispered quickly, "Thank you for bringing this my attention." Switching to her normal voice, "It has been a pleasure to finally meet the famous Danni Quee."

With the secretary reentering the office, Danni replied, "Thank you, your Majesty. I look forward to seeing you again." She turned to follow the secretary out of the room. _That was strange._ Danni definitely got the impression that the Queen Mother _was _worried, but why didn't the Queen Mother feel safe to discuss this in her own office?

Once she was back in the outer office, Anhaje closed the door and walked over to her desk. "This is the pass card that you will need to give to the security detail at the private residence." Danni gave her a quizzical look, and Anhaje answered with a knowing smile. "Her Majesty had already made arrangements with us to invite you to dinner, this appointment was a mere formality. In a lower voice, she continued, "There are recording devices in there that we allow the opposition to think that we haven't found yet."

Danni nodded. She was almost starting to think that the Queen Mother was just paranoid. Of course, knowing what she did about Hapan history, just because one is paranoid, doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you. "Ah." She said knowingly, "Saves you the trouble of having to look for new ones." Danni shook her head, "And here I thought that research politics were bad."

"You have no idea."

* * *

A/N: Once again, for the sake of story telling, I'm playing pretty loose with travel times in this. I needed a mildly plausible way for the Queen Mother to hear about Danni's arrival. Somehow, I didn't think just having Danni just show up at the Fountain Palace and announce, "I'm here to see Tenel Ka." would work; and the whole 'break into the palace' thing had already been done by Jacen in _Joiner King_, so I went with an airspace infraction. For those interested; yes, NOTAMs do exist, as does holding over an 'intersection'. For those REALLY curious, I am more than willing to talk pilot stuff with you!


	14. Chapter 14--Tell Me No Lies

**Chapter 14-Revelations**

Still thirty-five days until Myrkr…

* * *

Tenel Ka stood, unobserved, in a shaded corner of her balcony watching Allana play catch with her grandfather on the lawn below. Prince Isolder, although now 60, was still in excellent shape and loved to play with his granddaughter, something he had never been allowed to do when his own daughter was younger. Ta'a Chume had forbidden it, calling it "un-princess like", and he was never in the mood to fight his mother on this issue. However, Tenel Ka thought that Allana could deal with such frivolities, she had plenty of time to learn to be a princess; but she only got one crack at being a kid. The young queen allowed a smile as she heard Allana shriek with laughter as she tried to tackle her grandfather. Abruptly, the door behind her opened and she quickly turned her head to deal with the intrusion into her personal time. Danni looked chagrined when she saw the piercing look that the red-haired woman gave her, "I'm sorry Your Majesty, the security guy said that I could come on out." She started to back out through the doors.

Tenel Ka's look softened, "No, please stay. I did not realize the time; and please, call me Tenel Ka." She walked over to the center of the balcony and leaned up against the rail. Immediately, Allana saw her and gave her a big wave. "Hi Mommy! I'm playing catch!" She paused, pointing at Danni as the blonde woman made her way to the railing. "Who's that?"

"Now, what did we say about pointing, young lady?" asked Prince Isolder, with a bit of a smirk. Looking up at Danni, "You must be Danni Quee. Catch." And he tossed the oblong ball towards the two women up on the balcony.

"Father…" Tenel Ka cried, exasperated, as she ducked to the left. With the grace of a cat, Danni took a quick step to the left, stuck out her left hand while spinning a quarter turn, and caught the ball single-handedly, cradling the ball to her chest. Seeing Tenel Ka's look of surprise, she merely shrugged. Looking down into the gardens again, she chirped, "Good evening, Your Highnesses."

Prince Isolder flashed his hands in front of him, indicating that Danni throw the ball back. She grinned, and flipped off her shoes. "Oh, you'll get it back, but you're going to have to work for it!" Isolder looked at her dubiously. Danni laughed, "Okay Mister Doubting Isolder, give me a 10-meter out."

Still looking unconvinced, Isolder took a few steps closer to the balcony. He turned away from the balcony, looked over his shoulder, and assumed a relaxed sprinter's stance. "Okay, honey, I'm ready when you are."

Danni held the ball in front of her with both hands and yelled, "Go!" She took a couple of quick steps backwards and bounced on the balls of her feet, watching intently as Isolder sprinted up the grass. Quickly, she estimated where Isolder would get to the ten-meter mark and make his cut to the right. After she counted nine steps, she fired the ball four paces to his right, the ball whistling through the air. Isolder hit the ten-meter mark, and cut to the right. As soon as he made his move, his head turned around to look back at Danni and saw that the ball was about two meters away and coming fast… at his head. He got his hands up just in time, catching the ball and stumbling in the process. Isolder went about another two steps before diving down to the grass and rolling over onto his back.

Allana looked up at Danni from in awe. "Can you teach me how to throw like that?"

Danni gave her a big smile and a wink, "Sure thing, sweetie." Seeing Tenel Ka's stunned look, she shrugged and said drily, "I was the only girl in my neighborhood. If I wanted to play with anyone, I had to play with the six neighborhood boys."

Isolder had gotten up. "Hey, we've got an intramural team representing the Palace, if you're interested." He gave her a quick smile, "Do you want to come down here and play with the two of us?"

Tenel Ka answered before Danni could, "Sorry father, Danni and I have some issues to discuss. Next time, perhaps."

"I'll hold you to that." He lobbed the ball to Allana, who caught it with two hands. Okay sweetie, I'll bet that you can't make it to those trees before I tackle you!" He started toward Allana, and she ran toward the tree line, screaming in delight the entire way.

Watching them go, Tenel Ka looked pensive. "She is much more fun-loving than I was at that age-she reminds me so much of her father." Danni stepped up to the rail, unsure of what to say. She could feel the loneliness coming from Tenel Ka, but did not know her well enough to help. Instead, Danni nodded and took a page from the 'Solo Book of Etiquette': _Try for levity._ She looked over at the Queen Mother, now dressed in a sleeveless navy-blue empire-waist blouse, khaki Capri pants, and sandals, her hair released from it's elaborate braid from earlier. "I feel a tad overdressed," Danni said sheepishly. She was wearing the same outfit from before, and had even worn more stylish heels that matched her burgundy blouse.

Tenel Ka gave her a shrug. "I invite members of the staff over for dinner once every couple of weeks or so for an informal dinner. I always tell them to dress causal, yet they never do. So, I gave up." She gave Danni an appraising gaze, "At least you're not wearing a gown; one of the women from Protocol wore one last time." Danni smirked. Tenel Ka walked over to the table at the back of the balcony and poured two glasses of wine from the bottle that had chilled there for the last twenty minutes. Scooping up the goblets between her fingers of her right hand, she returned over to the railing. Danni met her halfway to relieve her of one of the crystal glasses. Hapes' Regent nodded her thanks, and the two women walked back to the railing. Tenel Ka took a sip of the red wine and said casually, "I apologize for being curt earlier. I try not to let information of a personal nature be discussed in the Throne Room."

Danni gave her a quick nod as she sipped her drink. "Anhaje mentioned the recording devices."

"Ah. We try to make sure that we 'discover' them about once every three or four days. Any longer than that, and they would not think that we were trying." She paused, taking another sip. "There has not even been an assassination attempt in fifteen months."

Danni coughed, almost spitting out her wine. "Wow, that's got to be some sort of record!"

Tenel Ka arched her right eyebrow, her grey eyes twinkling. "Almost." She became more serious. "So, now that we are no longer in danger of being recorded, what was the _full_ nature of your vision about Jedi Solo?" Tenel Ka emphasized the last portion of the comment to ensure that she knew that Danni left quite a bit out at their earlier meeting.

Danni grimaced; she had hoped that the Queen Mother wasn't _quite_ so smart. "How 'bout I show you instead." She gave Tenel Ka a knowing look. "However, I'm out of practice projecting through the Force. I'll just push my memory of it to the front of my mind where you can access it."

"Are you sure?" Tenel Ka was uncertain that this would work. She didn't feel like she could trust Danni enough to forge such a link; after all, they had only met an hour ago.

"No." Danni shook her head, answering honestly. "But, words fail to properly describe the story. Perhaps you'd get a better feel for it if you actually see it."

"Okay; we will give it a try." As they looked each other in the eye, Tenel Ka cautiously reached out through the Force. She could feel Danni's apprehension and her mental barriers shot up as Tenel Ka entered her mind. Tenel Ka sent thoughts of reassurance through their forming bond. As Danni got used to the sensation of someone else being in her thoughts, her mental barriers started to ease down. Tenel Ka gently moved through her mind and gasped as she found Danni's vision. It had only been ten years, but she had forgotten how desperate hand-to-hand battles were when you were fighting for you life.

O O(_)O O

"I'm sorry, Nelani." The man said as he ran the young woman through. As Danni's memory faded, another one quickly bloomed…

They were on the bridge of a Star Destroyer-firing at what looked like the _Millennium Falcon_. The scene changed again; this time they were watching a forested planet burn. A new scene; they were in another lightsaber duel, this time with Mara Jade. They were in an X-wing with a little girl. Another lightsaber duel…

O O(_)O O

Danni gave Tenel Ka a huge mental shove out of her thoughts. Both women had slumped against the railing, gasping for breath. Danni found that her hands were shaking as she tried to take a sip of wine. Trying to regain her composure, Tenel Ka risked a glance at her, "You neglected to mention how it ended."

Still shaking slightly, Danni continued to look out over the gardens as she took a deep breath and held it for a time. Exhaling, "This is different. It changed after Nelani died." She turned to face Tenel Ka and risked taking a sip of wine. "Before, I saw the galaxy starting to catch fire. This ending is new." Tenel Ka nodded, finishing her glass of wine. Realizing that she needed to fill her glass again as well, Danni took Tenel Ka's glass and walked back to the table.

Tenel Ka watched her, and as Danni stared to refill both glasses, "Who is this Nelani?" Concern filled her voice.

As she finished pouring, Danni turned, a wine glass in each hand. "According to the records at the Jedi Temple, she is assigned to the Lorrd system." Making her way back to the balcony, she held out Tenel Ka's glass to her. "That is my next destination. I wanted to stop here to see if you knew anything about why Jacen would be out there."

Tenel Ka took the offered glass and shook her head. "As I said, Jacen and I aren't as close as we once were. I still hope that we can repair what we once had." There was more than a hint of sadness in her voice. "Will you let me know what you find?"

Danni nodded as she took another sip, hiding her grimace at the tone in Tenel Ka's voice and what it implied. Suddenly, she knew whom Jacen and Sekot meant with the 'complicated' statement. Danni wondered what the younger woman knew about her own relationship with Jacen. "For you, yes."

"Why are you doing this?"

Danni almost gave her the same flippant answer that she gave to Jaina, but quickly decided against it. The blonde woman got the feeling that the Queen Mother knew that things were amiss, but could not find the best way to address it. Jaina just could not be bothered. Sighing, she opted for telling the truth. "Jacen saved my life once."

Tenel Ka gave Danni an understanding nod-Jacen had told her all about rescuing Danni from the Vong, and she tried not to think about the two of them together in that stylus ship. As the Queen forced that image out of her mind, her friend continued, "I've done a lousy job of thanking him over the last 10 years; with me hiding from life out in the Unknown Regions." Danni sighed again, until now it really hadn't occurred to her that was exactly what she was doing: hiding. She had insisted that it was research, but she was lying to herself; she never felt comfortable being around people, it was easier to be on some far-away planet. A new feeling of 'what-might-have-been' washed over her. "After I had this vision the first time, I knew that he needed saving. I…" she gave Tenel Ka a look, "WE… have the chance to prevent whatever this future is."

Tenel Ka started to feel real affection toward the astrophysicist. "I am sorry for not being able to accompany you to the Lorrd system." Danni merely shrugged. Tenel Ka reached out and gave Danni's left hand a squeeze. Trying to put as much affection in her voice as she could, "I thank you, Danni Quee, from the bottom of my heart for stopping here. It is good to know that someone else cares."

Danni allowed a small, sad smile as she nodded once. _Great,_ _I just had to go and find the _one_ person who loves him more than I do._

Her comlink beeped on the table behind them. Tenel Ka walked over and thumbed on the switch, "Yes."

"Your Majesty, an Ensign Kenara Do'ma has arrived. Shall I allow her in?"

"Yes, Sergeant, show her in." She deactivated the comlink. "Our dinner guest is here." She smiled warmly at Danni, " I have an interesting Ensign whom I would like you to meet."

Following the Queen back into the Palace, she could still hear the unmistakable shrieks of delight from the little girl on the lawn.

O O(_)O O

As they entered the Royal Apartment, Danni noticed a young brunette with bright blue eyes looking extremely out-of-sorts at standing in the entryway to the Royal residence. As soon as she saw the Queen Mother, the young Ensign immediately snapped to 'attention'. Tenel Ka smiled warmly, noticing that unlike earlier guests, Kenara Do'ma actually followed her advice, wearing a pair of dark dress pants and a bright blue pinstriped blouse. "As you were, Kenara. Thank you for coming."

The young woman's smile lit up the room, "Thank _you_, Mum." She cocked her head and her smile turned mischievous, "My folks think that I'm on a date with somebody…" she made quote marks in the air, "…'unsavory' and just didn't want to tell them."

Tenel Ka shot her a knowing look, and replied drily, "I can call them if you wish."

Laughing, Kenara replied, "Nah, I'll just steal some utensils instead."

Danni could not help but laugh at the slightly irreverent Hapan Naval Officer, earning a dry look from the Queen Mother, "Kenara, allow me introduce Danni Quee."

As she made the introduction, her father entered the apartment from the kitchen entrance, Gadell and Anhaje in tow.

Seeing his daughter's inquisitive look, Isolder replied with a small chuckle, "Etienne made corndogs and the princess wished to eat downstairs."

Shaking her head slightly, Tenel Ka addressed the small group, "Well, I think that is everyone. Because the weather is so nice, we well eat outside." With that, the Queen Mother turned and led the group out to the patio, making sure to properly introduce Danni and Kenara to everyone as they sat down at the large wrought-iron table.

Ducking around the kitchen staff as they laid out a couple of pots of jambalaya and étouffée, Gadell nodded across the table at Danni, "I heard that you did some fighting in the war."

"Yeah." Letting out a resigned sigh, Danni continued, "I flew with the _Wild Knightz_ for a..."

"…You flew with the _Wild Knightz_?" Kenara interrupted excitedly, her blue eyes wide with surprise.

The older woman scowled in confusion, "You've heard of the Knightz?" Kenara was the first non-Jedi Danni had met that had ever heard of her squadron.

"Of course. The _Knightz_ are famous; you guys helped change the course of the war." Seeing Danni's continued confusion, Ensign Do'ma smiled earnestly, "I was a military history minor in college, and my emphasis was the period of the Clone Wars forward."

Danni nodded politely, acutely aware of just how _old_ she felt knowing that some of her exploits were taught in a history class at some unnamed Hapan University.

To her immediate left, Isolder somehow sensed her dismay and chuckled drily, "Welcome to my world." Hearing her humorless chuckle, the Hapan Prince poured some red wine into her goblet, talking as he did. "What was it like, flying with such a _famous_ squadron?" Kenara winced at his emphasis, and Isolder shot her a friendly wink.

At almost a decade later, Danni could now look back with a certain amount of pride at what they had accomplished, how she helped beat back the Vong advances. At the time, however… "Scary." Across from her, Gadell gave her a knowing look while next to him Kenara only looked at her in confusion. Exhaling, she continued for the benefit of the younger woman, dishing up some jambalaya as she did, "The Vong aren't stupid, they realized pretty early on that we were trying to capture one of their yammosks." As she passed the dish to Anhaje, sitting on her right, her eyes focused on places long gone. "It started to feel like Saba and I became their target number one every time we flew into battle." Danni paused, finding herself once again in the backseat of her blastboat, "I was under no illusions what would happen to me if I got captured again." Even now, the thought of enduring another round of Vong torture made her shiver reflexively. Looking at the young Hapan air traffic controller she continued quietly, "I was so scared that I used to get the shakes before a mission. After the mission, the adrenaline withdrawals would cause me to get the shakes again." For years, she used to hide her tremors from people; now she was old enough to not care what people thought-fighting the Vong scared the hell out of her then, and it scared the hell out of her now.

"Do you still get them?" Gadell asked, not unkindly.

Danni tried to affect nonchalance, "Occasionally."

Commander Vessau nodded, "Me, too. I still have trouble watching a fireworks show." He shrugged a 'what-can-you-do' shrug and flashed a small, vulnerable smile; one that she recognized was meant for her alone.

For a long moment, the only sound was that of metal scraping against porcelain as everyone reminisced about the cost of the last war. Finally, Anhaje looked over at Kenara, "So, how does a military history student become an air traffic controller?"

The brunette woman smiled as she put down her wine goblet, "Well, _that _was actually a concession to my father. Mom encouraged me to follow my dreams and was excited about my decision to be a Music major and history minor. Dad…" Kenara shrugged nonchalantly, "…Dad was a bit more pragmatic and wanted me to have a backup in case the other two didn't work out. So-o-o, I found a school out on Terephon that had both an Air Traffic Control program _and_ a Music program."

Isolder offered a solemn nod, commenting drily, "Your father sounds like a smart man."

Shooting her father a 'leave her alone' look, Tenel Ka asked, "Do you still play?"

Kenara nodded as she took a bite of her étouffée, "I do." Swallowing, she continued, "I'm a drummer in a local _Transitory Mists_ cover band."

Both Isolder and Tenel Ka perked up at the mention of their favorite band; the _Mists_ were of Isolder's generation and he used to (badly) sing their _Crazy on You_ to Tenel Ka when she was an infant to get her to calm her down during those late night/early morning screaming sessions that infants are so fond of. Because of that early exposure, or perhaps in spite of it, his daughter had picked up his love of their music. Narrowing his eyes, "Aren't you a little young for the _Mists_?"

Ensign Do'ma snorted as she took another bite, trying not to spit it out. Shaking her head as she swallowed, "Mom says the same thing, but good music never goes out of style."

"No, it certainly doesn't." The older man replied, giving his daughter a wink and smirking at the affectionate sparkle in her grey eyes as she tried to hide her embarrassed smile.

"Unfortunately…" Kenara was continuing, missing the by-play between the Queen and her father, "…our lead singer just left to be a Project Manager on Phelope so we are out of luck at the moment."

"Really?" The Queen Mother asked, shooting Anhaje an inscrutable look as she did. Turning her attention back to Kenara, "I know of a couple of people here at the Palace who might be interested in auditioning."

As Kenara was telling the Queen that her band practiced every Monday, Danni and Gadell shared a confused look; they had both caught Tenel Ka's look with her secretary and were trying to puzzle out what it meant.

O O(_)O O

About an hour later, after the dinner plates had all been removed, Anhaje got up to excuse herself, nodding at the Queen Mother as she did, "Thank you for letting us join you for dinner, Mum." Getting a nod in reply, the brunette headed for the double doors leading to Tenel Ka's office.

Catching the hint, the others at the table also stood to excuse themselves, and the Queen made it a point of warmly thanking Ensign Do'ma for joining them for dinner as the remaining dinner guests made their way back into the Royal residence-making it obvious that she wished to speak to Danni last.

After making a couple more moments of friendly chitchat with the Air Traffic Control Officer, they finally said their 'good nights' and Gadell escorted the young woman out. Just as Tenel Ka was turning to talk to Danni, Anhaje re-entered the apartment through the 'hidden' door coming from the 'Throne Room'. Pointing at the comlink in her hand, the secretary explained, "You've got a call on your private office line."

After indicating to Danni that she would still like to have a word, Tenel Ka followed her secretary into the narrow passageway linking the apartment to her office. Once the door closed, Anhaje handed her boss the comlink, commenting as she did, "It's Colonel Solo."

Giving the brunette a confused scowl, "Why is he calling my office line?" She had given Jacen her private 'work' number years ago as a way for him to contact her without having to explain himself to the main exchange operator. Thinking hard, she could only remember two, maybe three, times when he had actually used it.

Anhaje shook her head in response, "He didn't say, but he referred to himself as 'Colonel Solo'." She nodded at Tenel Ka's deepening scowl, "My thoughts exactly; he never refers to himself as such; at least not to me."

The Queen Mother pondered this for a long moment, replying vacantly, "Not to _anyone_…" she shook her head again, "…at least not to anyone in the Palace." Shrugging, she moved the comlink closer to her ear, stopping half way. "Oh, before I forget, can you…"

Anhaje smiled knowingly and interrupted, "…already done."

Giving her friend a wry smirk, "Thanks." Flicking off the 'mute' button, she finished raising the comlink to her ear as she watched Anhaje leave the narrow passageway, "Colonel Solo, this is a pleasant surprise…"

O O(_)O O

"Mommy! Mommy! Can you…?" Danni heard a plaintive cry and the five-year old girl with red hair came running around the corner, now wearing a frilly white and blue dress instead of her tank top and denim shorts of before, and was visibly trying very hard not to cry, her lip trembling. Tenel Ka's daughter stopped short when she saw that Danni was the only one in the room.

"I'm sorry, honey, your Mommy had to answer a call. She'll be back in a couple of minutes." Danni said in her best attempt at a "mommy" voice, kneeling in front of the little girl. "I can probably help, though. What seems to be the problem?" She could see the indecision in girl's eyes, her fostered reluctance to talk to strangers losing to the fact that her head _really_ hurt.

Tentatively walking toward Danni, Allana's lip still trembling, she pointed to the back of her neck and mumbled, "Hurts." She stopped, just about an arms reach away.

Danni smiled, "Well let's take a look, shall we?" Slowly, Allana turned around, backing up slightly so that she was closer to Danni. "You know, I don't think that we've been properly introduced. What's your name?"

"Allana"

Danni looked over the offending area. "That's a pretty name." she said smiling, "Oh, I see. How'd you get all that hair stuck in your zipper?" Allana answered with a small shrug. "That must really hurt." An even smaller nod. "You are such a brave little girl to not cry." Danni said as she tried to figure out the best way to attack the tangle of hair in the offending zipper. "Okay, hold very still." She could see Allana visibly tense, drawing in a deep breath. Danni carefully grasped the caught locks in her right hand and gave a slow couple of jerks down on the zipper with her left. "There we go. How'd you manage to get your hair caught?" She asked, as she wrapped her arms around Allana in a small embrace.

Without turning around, "I was trying on this dress to wear for tomorrow and I wanted to be like Mommy and do everything one-handed. " Danni allowed a small smile at this admission. "But when I was trying to reach the zipper, my hair got caught, and I tried to use my other hand and even more got stuck, and I got mad and I gave it a big yank." It all came out in a rush. "And I ripped the zipper and now Mommy is going to be really mad for ruining this dress." At this, the tears started to come in earnest.

Danni put her chin on the top of the little girl's head. "That's not true. Mommy is going to be really proud of you for trying to be just like her. " Taking a second look at the zipper, she noticed a tear in the seam. "Besides, it is just a little rip." She grimaced at the lie; it was actually pretty big, but Allana didn't need to know that. "I'll tell you what, you and I can take it to a seamstress tomorrow. Mommy won't even have to know. Deal?" Another small nod, followed by a deep breath to stop the sobs. "Deal. Okay, let's dry those tears." Danni said softly, turning Allana around to face her. "There we are." Danni gave her a big smile and used her thumbs to carefully dry the tears from Allana's pretty grey eyes. Except that Allana's eyes weren't grey like her mother's eyes, they were more of a grayish…_brown._ Danni's eyes widened in shock as she realized what those eyes meant. Suddenly, Jacen's comment from weeks earlier made sense, 'It's too important.'

Tenel Ka's comment from earlier that evening came back: _She reminds me of her father. _Danni felt her anger rise, she had been nothing but honest, why had not Tenel Ka and Jacen been the same? _Everything Jacen Solo tells you is a lie._ She put that thought aside for the time being, as Jaina's words jumped out in her memory: _Jacen doesn't have 'crushes'._ Danni pondered the memory for a second. Jaina did not seem to say that in a knowing tone of voice; she just seemed to be commenting on the fact that Jacen only fell _hard_ for a girl. _Hard indeed._ Instinctively, Danni realized that Jaina did not know about Allana; and that if Jaina didn't know, odds were pretty good that _no one_ knew.

Picking up on Danni's very visible anxiety, Allana scowled. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, "I'm sorry, honey. I just assumed that your eyes would be green." Danni replied, trying to cover her earlier shock.

Allana looked down at the floor, "I wish that my eyes were green. I'd be prettier with green eyes, like yours. Mommy always seems sad when she looks at my eyes." Her lip started to quiver again.

With this, it dawned on Danni that Allana didn't know who her father was, either. The blonde woman started to tear up. "No, Allana. Your Mommy and I both think that brown eyes are the prettiest. Well…brown-_ish_, in your case." Danni sighed and raised her left hand to wipe her eyes. "Mommy is just reminiscing about when she was a girl and didn't have to be so serious all the time. She sees herself in you."

Allana looked into Danni's face again, giving her a tentative smile. "Really? You both think that brown-_ish_ eyes are prettier?"

Danni gave her another big smile. "Yep. We've both thought that for a very long time. We'd better get your pajamas on, though, before your mommy sees you out of bed. That _will_ make her mad." Danni stood up.

"That is a fact." Allana said with a smirk, echoing her mother's phrase, as she took Danni's hand and started to lead her back to her room.

_Well, they weren't kidding when they said it was complicated_.

O O(_)O O

Danni had just finished tucking the Hapan princess into bed when Allana's attention turned to the door at the scientist's back. "Hi Mommy! Ms. Danni was telling me about how Jedi Jacen rescued her from the…" she scrunched her pretty nose, "You-zan Vong." Danni smiled at the girl's pronunciation and gave her hand a small squeeze before getting up off of the bed. As she did, Allana voice filled with awe, "Did _you_ know Jedi Jacen was so brave?"

Tenel Ka gave her daughter a sad smile, never taking her eyes off of the scientist-Danni _knew_. As she made her way to Allana's side to kiss her daughter good night, she said softly, "I did, sweetie. Jacen is one of the bravest men I know." Her daughter's beaming smile stirred new feelings of regret that she quickly buried. Ruffling Allana's hair, "Good night, Princess."

O O(_)O O

Tenel Ka waited until the two of them had made it into the living room before she grabbed Danni's arm. Using he iciest voice, "You will not mention her father to anyone else."

Sighing sadly, as if she expected this her friend's reaction, Danni replied earnestly, "Tenel Ka, do not do this. She needs to know who her father is."

"That is 'Your Majesty' to you, and I will _not_ be lectured on what Allana needs by the likes of you."

"I will lecture whom I need, y_our Majesty_", Danni sneered, "especially since the rancor that you mother used to ride exhibited more forethought.

"GET OUT!" Tenel Ka screamed, her right hand flashing to slap Danni across the face. Tenel Ka had not fought in anger in years; only sparring against remotes and, on occasion, Jacen, but she was still impossibly fast.

With a hair-trigger reflex, Danni's left arm flew up fast, fist clenched, and intercepted Tenel Ka's blow about a foot from her face. The strike hit Danni's arm below the wrist and slid down to her elbow. Tenel Ka's grey eyes flew wide with surprise. _No one_ was faster than Tenel Ka.

Danni winced. _Crap, she hits HARD!_ "I am not a dishwasher on the royal yacht that you can cower into obedience, nor am I the ditzy star-gazer that you assume me to be and that you hate, deep down. But, I am _not _leaving until you hear what I have to say." Danni growled back.

The door to the royal residence flew open. Gadell Vessau's eyes moved between Danni and Tenel Ka. "Your Majesty, is everything alright? "

The Queen Mother lowered her hand to her side. "Yes, Commander. We just were discussing our difference of opinion." Tenel Ka said in her coldest voice, never taking her steely gaze off Danni. "Please, come in. _Ms. Quee_ here would like to offer her advice as to how best raise a princess. Seeing as she has one herself." Tenel Ka added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

_Sure. Stay-It will save her the trouble of having to call you back to arrest me._ Danni really did not want to have this conversation if front of the Queen's security chief, but didn't see anyway around it. "My parents divorced when I was little. I didn't have any siblings, so it was just my mother and I. My father worked as an auditor for the Commenor Revenue Service and was mostly away, but he always called at least once a week. It was comforting to know there was someone else out there who cared." Danni gave a slight smile as she thought about her childhood. "Tenel Ka, you are taking that away from her. Right now, she doesn't have anybody who loves her for her. Everyone here likes her for what she is: the daughter of the Queen Mother. She thinks that Jacen stops by because he is a friend of her Mommy. Let her know that she has a Daddy who comes to see _her_; that she matters to someone outside the palace. Please…don't make her be as lonely as you are." Danni looked at Tenel Ka sympathetically.

Vessau piped in, "Tenna, have I not been saying these same things for years? Well, except for the lonely comment, I mean." He looked at Danni out of the corner of his eye and gave her a wry smile.

Danni caught on: Gadell wasn't here to forcibly remove her from the palace; he was here to help her case. Tenel Ka _wanted_ to be talked into this, but needed further convincing that this was the right course of action. Danni recalled her early days as a young scientist. She was always asked to go to the big fundraising events when she worked for Ex-Gal. To be fair it was partly, well mostly, because she was young, pretty, and smart. But it was also because Danni had a knack for knowing when donors wanted to give, but just needed the right argument to convince them. It was time to stay on the offensive.

Sitting sat down on the couch, to convey a less confrontational air, Danni continued sadly, "No one on Coruscant trusts him any more. Jacen has become withdrawn, aloof, and, I dare say, _calculating_. Even Jaina isn't close to him and I never thought that would happen. His family needs to know WHY he has acted so strangely. They'll come around as soon as they knew he was only protecting Allana. This burden is too big for four of us to bear."

Tenel Ka walked over to the double doors leading to the balcony and looked out over the gardens below, giving her time to think about what Danni said. With anxiety etched into her voice, "If we tell them, then soon everyone will know. The danger to our daughter will increase a hundred-fold."

"No." Danni said authoritatively. "Han and Leia would never betray your confidence. They know the stakes all to well." She paused, "Jaina grew up with the threat of kidnapping and death hanging over her, Jacen, and Anakin from the time they could walk. They would never let anything happen to Allana. Nor will I." Danni said with a quiet calm. "You said yourself that Hapes is not the cesspool of intrigue that it once was and people still remember Jacen as a hero from the war. I don't think that they would begrudge you for falling for him, even if he _is_ a Jedi." Tenel Ka had half-turned at the window and gave her a small smirk. Danni returned it with a larger smile of her own, though her heart was breaking. She could feel Tenel Ka's love for Jacen, even as the other woman was trying very hard to keep her emotions sealed up. Danni realized that she was sabotaging her own chances with him, but she could not let her own feelings interfere with doing the right thing. Allana _needed _Jacen in her life. Until he and Tenel Ka determined where they stood, relationship-wise, Danni would content herself with simply being their friend.

"I believe Ms. Quee" Vessau piped in winking in Danni's direction, "is correct. Hapes _has _come a long way. The plotting now is only at a simmer, something undertaken almost as a hobby. We will keep Allana's father a secret from the palace at large a while more, of course, but I think that it will be safe to reveal that fact soon enough." Gadell walked over to Tenel Ka, taking her hand in both of his. "I've only met the Solos once in passing, but I do not believe that they would leak this information to anyone." He caught Danni's eye and smirked; they were going to wear down Tenel Ka on this.

Tenel Ka's grey eyes looked from one to the other. "Don't think that I haven't caught on to what you two are doing. Teaming up on a poor, worried mother." Her voice filled with exasperation.

Danni opened her mouth to reply, but Vessau jumped in. Looking around the room, "I would hardly consider you 'poor'. And I think that you knew what you were getting into when you invited the me to stay."

Tenel Ka raised one eyebrow, "I wonder. However, if we let this feline out of the bag, as it were, who else do we tell?"

Danni smiled inwardly, she, with Vessau's help, had convinced the Queen Mother. Just as in fundraising, the next step was always assuring the client that her time and money would be well spent. In this case, she had been thinking on the 'who' since she had started this conversation with her initial outburst. "Jag, obviously, as we cannot expect Jaina to keep it secret from him. I trust Tahiri implicitly, except she seems to be _persona non grata_ for the time being."

Tenel Ka gave Danni a measured look. _I wish my advisors could think that quickly. _"Anyone else?" She wanted to know if Danni had really thought this out; if she knew the slippery slope that this could be. Once you let the information out, you start to think 'well, person X already knows; so I might as well tell person Y or Z'. Tenel Ka was afraid letting too many know too soon. Even in the current climate, if some of the Hapans found out, it could get pretty ugly, pretty quickly.

Looking at Tenel Ka, Danni took a deep breath; she knew whom the red-haired queen was referring to. "I am unsure what to say about Luke and Mara. I doubt that they would betray your desire to keep this as confidential as possible. But..." Danni exhaled loudly, "...I don't trust them." She looked away and stared into the fireplace. "I haven't trusted them since..."

"Myrkr." Tenel Ka finished softly.

Danni nodded slowly. "Myrkr. I hate that _Master,_" she said the title derisively, "Skywalker let a seventeen-year-old kid talk him into giving the okay for what everyone knew would be a suicide mission. I hate that Anakin felt this insane need to prove himself to his father and his uncle: prove that he was _not_ his grandfather. I hate that all of _you_ were unwilling to let any of the others down; once _Skywalker_" again, she sneered at his name, "gave his go-ahead to Anakin, you were _all_ going on that damn mission." Danni's voice increased, "I hate that I could not talk _Skywalker_ out of it. I tried so hard; I used every argument that I could think of to get him to stop. I argued that the team was too big; I yelled at him that the Vong would torture all of you; I pointed out that no reconnaissance had been done of Myrkr. I launched into a tirade every time that I saw him-I tried so hard, that he started going out of his way to avoid talking to me. That is why he would not allow me to even fly on the shuttle with Calrissian; I would have continued these arguments for the entire flight."

Danni only vaguely noticed that Gadell had moved to sit down by her on the sofa. "I even badgered him to launch a rescue mission a few days after Lando had returned. I almost had Saba talked into defying _Master_ Skywalker and going anyway to get you." Tears started to form in the corner of her right eye. Angrily, she wiped them away with her left thumb. "We could've found another way to defeat the voxyn. _I_ could have found a way. I beat their war coordinators, I could have found a way to neutralize the voxyn."

"I hate that that mission cost us so much, and returned so little. _That mission,_" Danni said coldly, "cost us Alema and Raynar, even though we didn't know it yet. It cost us Tesar, and almost cost us Jaina." Danni's was seething with years of pent-up anger. Her voice was at a low yell now, "I hate that _Skywalker_ cost us our best tactical thinker in Anakin. I hate that it cost us Jacen, who had become a kind of moral center, a center that I fear that is never going to come back." Tenel Ka nodded sadly. Danni continued softly, "Jacen's not as fun-loving, and the scars…." She trailed off, her memory from seeing Jacen's scarred chest again playing in her mind.

Danni looked Tenel Ka in the eye, "I hate what that mission did to you. What it did to me." Her lips started to tremble, and tears started again, harder this time. Danni's voice contained as much pain as Tenel Ka had ever heard from a person, "I hate that I failed all of you. I tried with every fiber of my being, and I could…. Not. Get. You. To. Stop." Her whole body trembled with barely controlled sobs. Vessau reached over and gently took her right hand, pressing it softly to his lips. Danni offered him a slight smile, and wiped her tear-soaked green eyes with her left hand. Taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I've let my personal feelings get in the way of good counsel." The objective scientist in her was embarrassed by this display.

As a tear rolled down her face, Tenel Ka remembered that the last time she had cried was when she still thought Jacen dead. Walking over to the table that sat in front of the patio doors, she spoke quietly, "You did not fail us. We had all cheated death so much that we thought ourselves invincible." Tenel Ka wiped her tear away. She caught Danni's eye and spoke in her most sincere voice. "You used your emotions to generate a logical argument. I could use someone like you on my staff." Danni smiled politely.

Tenel Ka leaned back against the table, "I agree, we shall only reveal Allana to four; five, if we can find Tahiri." She gave Danni a rare smile. "What Jacen told me once is correct; you _are_ the smartest person that he knows. " Danni smiled; she knew that Tenel Ka was apologizing about not telling her that she had seen Jacen regularly over the last five years and the wall of mutual apprehension between the two dissolved.

For a long moment, nobody said anything. Finally, wanting to leave the Queen Mother with her thoughts, Gadell and Danni both got off the couch to excuse themselves. Tenel Ka gave them both an absent-minded nod as they passed by on the way to the door, clearly still wrestling with the decision she had just made. As they reached the door, Tenel Ka called out, "Danni, can you stay a while longer?" They both turned back and saw an almost pleading look on the Queen Mother's face.

Danni nodded, "Certainly." She looked over at Gadell and whispered, "Thank you."

He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, whispering back, "No, thank _you._ You did all the heavy lifting. I would've never been able to convince her myself." He bowed graciously toward Tenel Ka, saying as he did, "Good evening, your Majesty." With that, he turned and left through the ornate door of the Queen's residence.

Tenel Ka turned and started to fill two glasses with healthy amounts of desert wine from the decanter on the table. "Will you join me for another round?"

Danni smirked as she pointed out, "I think that decision has already been made." The red-haired woman only shrugged as she once again held two wine goblets in her right hand. Taking one of the proffered goblets from the Queen Mother's hand, Danni quipped, "You're pretty good at that. You should ask the pub down the street if they need a serving wench." Tenel Ka only shrugged again and smirked as she made her way to sit at the far end of the couch, the end that Danni herself had just vacated. Taking a sip, Danni nodded appreciatively as she followed the Queen and sat on the opposite end of the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. She watched as the young queen swirl her red wine around in her crystal goblet, clearly lost in thought.

Not taking her eyes off of her wine, "I don't hate you." Tenel Ka said softly, as she finally looked over at Danni. "If anything, I was jealous of you."

Danni snorted derisively, "Jealous?" She shook her head. "Trust me, _no one_ gets jealous of me. Most think that I some sort of clueless brainiac."

The younger woman's grey eyes sparkled as she shook her head. "From the stories I have heard, anyone who thinks you clueless does so at their peril." She paused, taking a sip of her wine. "I always knew that if you had managed to steal Jacen's heart, you were someone to reckoned with."

Letting a smile grow across her face, Danni opined, "Coming from you, that is rare praise indeed!" Her smile slowly disappeared, and her tone became softer, "I didn't steal his heart, though; I just sort of…borrowed it for a time." She looked earnestly at her new friend, "I think his heart _always_ belonged to you." She caught the queen's small smile.

Danni wrinkled her brow, looking a tad perplexed. "So, tell me about this jealousy. Is it my naturally curly hair?" Danni was pushing the back of her hair up over the top in her best 'coy beach-model' look.

Tenel Ka snorted, almost spitting out her wine, as she looked over at Danni. The blonde-haired woman only wiggled her eyebrows at her. After Tenel Ka had regained her composure, her tone became thoughtful. "You could offer Jacen something that I could not; freedom to travel, freedom to explore. At the time, I could not dare leave or the throne would have been forfeit." She looked embarrassed. "I _hated_ Hapes, I hated being Queen Mother. I would have given anything to go."

The astrophysicist did not know what to say. "I'm sorry. You certainly deserved to go." The queen only gave her a shrug. "It was an interesting trip. Especially going to Csilla." Danni was staring into the fireplace, clearly lost in her memories.

The younger woman did not interrupt her reverie, knowing that Danni would eventually continue. "After we arrived, Baron Fel's daughter, Wynssa, became our escort for the duration of our stay." Danni smiled at the recollection. "At first, I was not terribly impressed." Tenel Ka gave her a knowing smile. "She must have been fourteen, fifteen years old, at the time."

Danni took a sip of wine and then continued, "I'm sure that you can see where this is headed." Tenel Ka's smile only got larger; she did have an idea of where this was going. "Wyn became _quite_ smitten with our young Mr. Solo." Danni chuckled as she took another sip. "She started to hang out with us _all_ of the time." Danni paused and rolled her eyes at the memory. "What made it interesting is that Jacen never seemed to mind. I mean; I know that he _knew_; even Jacen isn't _that _dense." Tenel Ka let a chuckle escape, even as she tried to hide it.

"I think that is when I knew that I had fallen for him." Danni looked earnestly at Tenel Ka, "He never was condescending toward Wyn. She was trying so-o-o hard not to be an awkward teenager, and Jacen was so sweet. He _always_ treated her respectfully: smiling at her flirtatiousness, listening to any ideas that she had during our search in the library." Danni smiled as she remembered. "He seemed to be telling her that it was okay to show your feelings. That she shouldn't be embarrassed by her emotions. He wasn't encouraging her, but he didn't _discourage_ her either. He was just letting her express herself. He didn't even have to 'turn her down'; Wyn just sort of accepted that they would never be more than friends. Oddly, her and I got closer after that." She took another sip of wine. Her tone became contemplative, "That's when I realized that Jacen was a keeper."

The Queen Mother only nodded in agreement; she could _feel_ Danni's love for Jacen, it was almost as deep as her own. _Now what?_

Danni continued, "Wyn has turned out to be a remarkable young woman. And, like me, she still has a bit of a thing for Jacen Solo." Tenel Ka _almost_ let another chuckle escape. In mock seriousness, Danni gestured around the room and whispered drily, "You might want to install more security."

For several more moments, the two women sat in silence. "Did you and Jacen ever...?" Tenel Ka blurted before she could stop herself. She stopped, deeply embarrassed. It was a question that had been at the back of her mind for years, but had not really intended to ask. Not Danni, anyway. _It is none of your business._

To say that Danni was taken aback would be an understatement. Shocked, or even flabbergasted might be a better word. _It's none of your business!_ But, considering Allana was in the picture, maybe it was Tenel Ka's business. _She should really be having this conversation with Jacen. Is she afraid of how many others he has been with? _Has_ he been with anyone else? _But, now that is was out there, she could not just ignore the question; nor did she feel she should lie about it. _What's done is done. And I'm not the least bit ashamed of it._ Danni nodded once, "There was a span of several months towards the end of the war and afterwards…" she left it there, only admitting to so much. Tenel Ka would have to draw her own conclusions. "Both of us had been through so much; Jacen especially." She could see Tenel Ka's neutral expression. "After Myrkr, I was so dead emotionally that I poured myself into my work. I was either in the lab or volunteering to fly another damn-fool mission: the crazier, the better. In hindsight, I think that I was daring the Vong to kill me." Her voice had become pained with the memories. "Neither of us really expected to live long enough to see the end of the war, and we both needed connect again with someone emotionally, physically. We needed to _feel_." The woman at opposite end of the couch only nodded.

Finally, Tenel Ka said softly, "I'm glad that it was you." She caught Danni's skeptical look. "Well, not _glad _exactly, but I'm happy that it meant something to both of you." The older woman gave her a small smile; Danni did understand what Tenel Ka was getting at. "You were there for each other when it mattered most." Her voice got softer, "I was stuck in this damn palace." Only then did Danni realize how much the Queen Mother had given up for Hapes. She reached for her friend's hand and gave it a squeeze. Tenel Ka squeezed back appreciatively, as she continued to stare into the fire.

Not moving her gaze from the fire, Tenel Ka said apologetically, "That was Jacen on the comm earlier; he is on his way here to discuss something."

Danni nodded, understanding that she was no longer able to stay at the Palace for the night. "I should be heading out to Lorrd, anyway. Thanks for dinner."

"You are most welcome." Tenel Ka's tone became serious, "Will you help me? With telling the Solos?"

The blonde's eyes softened, "Of course." She paused, frowning, "Although, you two are on your own with telling Allana."

The one-armed woman nodded, "Of course."

As Tenel Ka escorted the blonde woman to the door, "I will have one of the guards take you to your ship." Danni nodded her thanks as they made their way to the door. "I cannot thank you enough, Danni Quee."

The older woman smiled. "Don't thank me yet. We still have LOTS of work to do."

The Queen Mother only gave her a sad half-smile as she turned to the guard at the duty desk outside her door, "Sergeant, do we have someone that can take Ms. Quee back to the city spaceport?"

All three women knew that Tenel Ka's 'request' wasn't really a _request_. Nevertheless, Danni was impressed by the 'people skills' of the Queen Mother. She was always polite when talking to her staff, and always treated them respectfully. Smiling to herself, Danni thought about something her mother had told her once, "Someone who is nice to you, but rude to the staff, is _not_ a nice person." Her mother had meant it as dating advice, to be used at restaurants; but Danni still used it when sizing people up.

The young Army sergeant replied as she picked up her comlink, "Certainly, Mum. I'll have someone here right away."

Tenel Ka shook her head, "I will escort Ms. Quee to the front door of the Palace-have her meet us there."

The young woman nodded, "Yes, Mum."

* * *

A/N: Again, I thank Hexterah for letting me use Anhaje and Gadell. As you've probably noticed, I dislike the menu of the 'official' SW. It seems everybody orders nerf steak, drinks Whyren's Reserve or Corellian ale, and has rhyscate for dessert. If we, on one planet, have millions of different recipes, I think it reasonable to think an _entire_ galaxy might.

Okay, I allowed Danni to have _one_ 'Mary Sue' attribute. In my biased opinion, there is nothing quite so sexy as a woman who can chuck a football. (Or drive a car with a manual transmission, but that's outside the purview of this story)

This concludes this week's over-large update. I'll get back to the regular Tuesday postings next week. As always: Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15--The Root of all Evil

**Chapter 15—The Root of all Evil**

Thirty-four days before Tenel Ka zaps her friend…

* * *

Leia was right; the Jedi Council did _not_ like the news she brought. Standing in front of the assembled Masters, she recounted what Jacen had told her the day before and felt their frustration. Confusion clouded her face as she addressed her brother, "Surely you have seen this day coming? Omas simply cannot continue funding the Jedi at the current level, not if he wants to keep his job." She let her eyes wander around the room, looking at the other Masters present in the chamber. "There are too many anti-Jedi voices in the Senate and Omas needs to keep them as quiet as possible." Leia sighed as she returned to her seat in the semi-circle of chairs in the Council chamber, "This is a way for him to keep the anti-Jedi faction quiet."

Luke, his eyes blazing as he sat center-most in the semi-circle, was the first to speak. "We expected something like this to happen, but we didn't expect one of our own to betray us like this." He was angry, and Luke Skywalker rarely got angry.

Leia's brow wrinkled in confusion, "One of our own?" Suddenly, she understood; her son was correct in his appraisal of the Council. "You think that this was Jacen's idea?" Her tone was one of disbelief, "Jacen is only the head of the GAG; he doesn't have that kind of clout."

Kyle Katarn responded, sounding bitter, "Yes, but Jacen told Luke that the Jedi Order needed to change. Obviously, he has persuaded Omas to back his plan."

_His plan?_ Leia tried a more soothing tone, "You all are misinterpreting what I reported." She looked around the room again at the collected Masters, "Chief Omas told this news to Jacen _knowing_ that he would likely pass the news on to one of us—probably myself." The former Chief-of-State looked at each of them again, "This is not my son's doing, he is merely a messenger. Again, as head of the GAG, this is not something that would concern his office."

Corran gave her an apologetic look, "Surely you must see that Jacen's ambition for higher office. Why else would he attend all of those black-tie events?" Quietly, he continued, "Jacen is_ using_ you Leia. Don't let the fact that he is your son cloud you judgment."

Leia's eyes narrowed appreciatively. _He goes to those functions because that is how politics work. _ She understood what the Council did not; to ensure that the Senate kept the GAG in mind at Appropriations time, Jacen had to be _seen_ by those Senators. As much as she disagreed with her son's latest crowd-control methods, there was no doubt that his troops were incredibly loyal to their boss, a loyalty that was _earned_. Jacen never asked them to do something that he would not do, and he always ensured that his troops had the resources to do their jobs. If showing his face at a silly party ensured that his troops would receive the proper training and equipment, than he would wear a damned tuxedo.

She glared at Corran, "When you start controlling Valin's zipper, than you can talk to me about being blind to _my_ son's behavior." Corran's face became a furious shade of red as he opened his mouth…

Luke jumped in before matters got out of hand. "Leia!" He shouted. "That. Is. Enough. We are here to talk about how to stop Jacen, not to discuss Valin's…indiscretions."

Leia turned and glared at her brother. Standing off in one of the oval room's window alcoves, Han grimaced. Leia did not use that glare very often, and what came next was _never_ pretty; his wife was incensed.

_Indiscretions? Valin has gotten _two_ girls pregnant this year._ "Stop Jacen from _what_, exactly? He is only doing his job as mandated by the Chief of State's office." Leia swept her glare around the other Council members. "I do not condone his actions against the Corellians, but neither the Chief of State _nor_ the Senate has censured his actions. Therefore, we are in no position to do so. Our mandate is to uphold the LAW, is it not?" She gave Han a quick look, one he returned with an almost imperceptible nod. He was terribly distressed by his son's actions against the ex-pat Corellians living on the Galactic Capitol, but he would support his wife on this. She had convinced him last night that Jacen was now on a different path, and that they should help their son as much as possible. Han was wrong about Jacen after Myrkr, he would not doubt her this time.

Leia continued in her icy tone, "I will say this one more time; this is _not _Jacen's doing. He may disagree with us, but he does _not_ wish to disband the Order." She heard several snorts of derision. Leia tried a more conciliatory tone and changed topics; "We need to garner support in the Senate if we wish to keep our current funding level."

Sitting on her husband's right, Mara gave Leia a cold look and jumped into the argument. "The Jedi will not _lobby_. We are above the political realm." Her voice became harsh, "Corran's right, you are blind to Jacen's ambition."

At this, Han stepped angrily out of his alcove and pointed at Mara. "And you were blind to Ben being a Joiner. Good luck running the Order when the credits are gone." He glanced at his wife, who had stood up to leave with him. Smirking at his brother-in-law, he added caustically, "Oh, and don't try to hit up Tenel Ka for any more money." Echoing what Jacen had told his mother three days before. "She agrees with Jacen." Together, he and Leia marched out of the oval-shaped chambers, leaving a shocked Jedi Council in turmoil.

O O(_)O O

The two of them walked in silence to the turbolift. After the door had closed, Han turned to look at his wife. "You know that by following me out of there, you have effectively left the Order, right?"

Leia could only nod; she was still seething at the actions of her brother, both today and over the last few years.

Han did not remove his gaze from his wife, "Are you okay with this? I am not too proud to go back."

At this, Leia turned and faced her husband. Her voice was one of barely controlled rage, "Dagobah, Han." She stabbed him in the chest with her finger, "Luke sent her to _Dagobah_!" Han was shocked, Leia rarely held a grudge, but this seemed to the exception; perhaps it was because it involved Tahiri. Oddly, Leia always seemed more protective of her kids' friends than of her kids. Last night, Leia had vented to Han for almost an hour about Luke using Tenel Ka's generous nature to fund 'Council Activities'. Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin had all grown up knowing the risks of being a Solo; their friends had only been 'drafted' into it and Leia knew that if she didn't stand up for her kids' friends, no one else would. Zekk and Tahiri were orphaned, Tenel Ka was a single mom whose own grandmother had murdered her mother, and Jag's family were an entire galaxy away. Leia would _not_ let them be treated as her kids were.

Han looked at her thoughtfully, "At least he didn't exile Jaina and Zekk."

She raged on, pacing around the small turbolift, "And I'm still not sure which one makes me more upset. Blatant favoritism or arbitrary punishment." She stopped again, gesturing around the small space. "They all thought they were doing the right thing, and he sent them to _Dagobah_." Her voice increased to almost a yell, "He treated them like they were twelve." She pointed up at the far corner of the lift, "'Go to your room until you can learn to behave.' That is the underlying message Luke sent with his 'punishment'." Leia took a deep breath to calm down. "He has taken the initiative away of an _entire_ generation of Jedi. All these kids now; they are afraid of doing the _wrong _thing, afraid of being censured by Skywalker." Leia took a step closer wanting a hug, and Han obliged. "Jedi need to do the _right_ thing, not the _safe_ thing."

The lift finally stopped, and they exited, holding hands. When they had left the Temple doors, perhaps for the last time, Leia looked over at Han, "So, what do we do now?"

Han snorted, "Well, we still have three kids," Leia smiled as her husband had unconsciously included Tahiri, "five, if you include Tenel Ka and Jag. I say we find out what they are up to and find a way to help them."

Leia smiled warmly at the man she had loved for over forty years. Trust Han to find a way to find a way to pierce her gloomy mood. "Six. Don't forget about Zekk." Han only rolled his eyes, ever since his kids left for the Academy; the size of his family never seemed to stop growing. Leia shook her head as she continued, "I have heard that the Queen Mother is still sponsoring her relief efforts. Perhaps she could use a full-time freighter crew."

Han gave her one of his trademark grins. "We'll start there, then. Who knows what other trouble we can stir up hauling supplies."

O O(_)O O

As soon as the door closed behind Han and Leia, Kyp Durron looked over at GrandMaster Skywalker, fury evident in his green eyes. "Is it true?"

Master Durron's question was met with a resounding silence as the remaining Masters all looked at Luke Skywalker. Finally, Kyp answered his own question with a nod. "I see." Throwing up his hands in exasperation, he continued to glare at Luke, "Do you ever think ahead, or do you just make crap up as we go along?"

Kyle Katarn jumped in, his voice menacing, "Kyp..."

"Don't 'Kyp' me!" Durron retorted angrily, fixing his glare on Katarn as he stood. "Do you have _any_ idea what the Senate is going to say when they find out about this little 'Hapan supplement'?" He asked, glancing around the circular room. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Luke and Mara; "They are going to question where our loyalties lie; they are going to assume that the Queen Mother is subverting the authority of the Senate." His voice got louder, "You do realize the Senate can _demand_ an audit, don't you?" Again, his question was met with a stunned silence. "Of course not, because you didn't think to include us in your decision-making." Kyp answered caustically as he marched directly in front of the two Skywalkers, his anger barely controlled, "You'd better hope that the Senate doesn't ask for an audit, because I will turn state's witness and rat you out. I will _not_ let the Order burn for your stupidity." Kyp turned and stomped out of the Council's chambers, calling over his shoulder as he did, "This meeting is adjourned."

For a long moment, the room was eerily silent. Finally, Corran spoke, "As much as it pains me to say this...Kyp is right, you should have..."

Luke interrupted, speaking for the first time, "No. I didn't have time to discuss this in committee; we needed the funds. Just as we do now." With that, he stood, clearly intending to leave.

"Where are you going?" Kyle asked guardedly, as if afraid of the answer.

"Hapes. We need to know where Tenel Ka's loyalties lie."

Corran jumped to his feet, "Are you out of your mind?" He shook his head, "Luke, now is not the time. Don't force Tenel Ka's hand."

For the first time, Saba Sebatyne spoke up, "I agree with Ma_ss_ter Horn, we all know that her and Jacen are friendly and she's obviou_ss_ly talked with Jacen recently; let this _ss_ettle down."

Luke looked at his wife pointedly. With an audible sigh, she answered carefully, "Luke, I agree with them. This is a bad idea; give Tenel Ka and Leia some time to formulate some political cover for this."

As soon as she said it, Mara realized it was the wrong thing to say. Luke's face clouded over in betrayal, he had no interest in political maneuvering, not when he thought Jacen to be behind Omas' plan to reduce funding for _his_ Order. "_Politics_!" He bit out, his voice full of disdain. "No, I'm going to use the blunt approach." Turning, he started to head for the door.

Grabbing his friend by the arm, Corran said sternly, "Luke, don't do this. Tenel Ka is an honorable woman, do _not_ turn this into an 'us versus them' proposition."

Luke glared at his friend and yanked his arm from Corran's grasp and left through the door. After a long second, Mara sighed and chased after her husband, giving Corran a meaningful look as she left. "I'll try to talk him out of doing something stupid."

O O(_)O O

Jacen landed in the pre-dawn twilight on the Fountain Palace's small ramp, still unsure about this visit. As of late, using the Force made him feel _apprehensive_, making him feel like he did when the war started, back when he was still very much a kid. For the second time in his life, he was afraid that he would do something wrong by using the Force. Back then, _wrong_ was just a vague idea. Now? Now, he knew exactly what _wrong_ was.

Sighing, he finished his post-flight checks and went to grab his small duffle out of the even smaller cabin aboard his GAG _Lambda_-class shuttle. It was, he reflected, probably the last time he would get to fly a _Lambda_. The mechanics that worked for the GAG grumbled a bit when he told them that he intended to buy four of the shuttles to form the GAG 'fleet'. _Lambda_'s, after all, were all getting to be close to forty years old, and parts were becoming harder to come by. Shaking his head at his emotional attachment to a class of ships, he descended the entry ramp and closed it behind him.

A light rain was falling as he made his way across the Palace ramp, and he gave a formal nod to the guard as she gave him a cursory glance through the window and waved him through. Jacen had the utmost respect for the Queen Mother's security team, even going so far as to practice hand-to-hand combat with some of them, but he was starting to get a little worried that most of recognized him on sight; it meant that he was coming to the Palace a little _too _often and was one of the reasons that he was unsure about this visit. It had only been two weeks since his last visit, and he didn't want to put Tenel Ka into an awkward position of having to explain his visits. Additionally, he _definitely_ did not want Lumiya to deduce where he went on his 'trips'.

As he made his way down the opulent hallway towards the Royal residence, Captain Aamodt at the guard station gave him a slight smile. "You just missed her, Colonel. She wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours, so she went out to the gardens to get in some 'sabre practice."

Jacen scowled, "In this weather?"

Kjetiele Aamodt offered a non-committal shrug; she had thought the same thing, but did not dare voice her opinion to the Queen Mother. To do so would lead her to be challenged to a duel, and she had no desire to get her butt kicked by the Queen Mother today. Jacen only shook his head as he looked out the window at the steady rain, and mumbled something about '…take the girl off Dathomir…' The captain cleared her throat, trying to get Jacen's attention. When he looked back at her, "You know, with the rain, it is unlikely that the Queen Mother would hear your approach." Captain Aamodt managed to keep the smile off of her face, but there was no mistaking the twinkle in her eyes. The Queen Mother needed less predictability in her life.

Jacen gave her a predatory smile, and winked, "I like the way you think!" He nodded at his duffel bag, "May I leave my stuff behind your desk?"

Kjetiele nodded and he stepped behind her desk to place his bag on the floor, taking his black tunic off as he did so. Turning back to look out the windows, he unbuttoned his grey GAG shirt, leaving only his white undershirt. As he bent down to place his tunic and shirt on top of his bag, the Hapan Army captain ran an appraising eye over his form, his muscular torso and the outlines of some of his scars on his back visible through his t-shirt. _So _that's_ what the Queen Mother sees in him; his uniform hides _way_ too much._ Jacen caught her staring and gave her another wink.

Unperturbed, she only chuckled as she picked up her comlink to let the security detail out in the gardens know that Colonel Solo was on his way out to practice with the Queen. Jacen nodded his thanks while she was talking on the comm, and left through the glass door to the right of the guard station, making his way through the gardens towards the Tenel Ka's practice pad.

As he made his way, he stretched out cautiously with the Force to ascertain where the Queen's security team was. Even though they knew he was coming, he still had no desire to surprise anyone, especially somebody armed. Sensing one of the guards off at his two o'clock position, he carefully made his way in that direction and gave the Sergeant a small wave when they finally made eye contact. Seeing her nod of greeting, Jacen was now clear to quietly make his way down to the converted tennis courts where Tenel Ka practiced.

When he finally got close enough to see the Queen Mother, dressed in a navy-blue sports bra and black stretch pants and performing some light stretching, he had to remind himself that there were _two_ well-armed Hapan Forces Sergeants nearby and that any ravishing of the Queen Mother would have to wait. _She _is_ beautiful_. Once again, Danni Quee's admonishment came back to him: _Be better._ With that insight, he realized his original plan of practicing _against_ Tenel Ka was the wrong approach; he needed to practice _with_ her.

After a few moments, he slowly expanded his Force presence, letting her know that he was nearby. She quickly looked up when she sensed his presence, nodding at him as he approached.

_Up for a little practice?_ she sent, her eyes alight.

"I've got something else in mind," he replied cryptically, expanding their link a little to show her what he had in mind.

"Sounds fun," she responded quietly, watching as he walked up to her. After a few moments of getting used to each other again, she whispered, "Ready to put on a show?" They had both sensed that her guards had surreptitiously crept closer to watch; the Solo-Djo practices had become almost legendary amongst the Palace Guard, and her current detail had never seen the two of them in action. Tenel Ka didn't mind _too_ much, so long as they still at least pretended to patrol the grounds.

Jacen smirked as he nodded, "Ready."

With that, they both spun around and stood back-to-back as they ignited their lightsabers. Tenel Ka released the safety switch on the control unit for the various-sized blasters surrounding the court and for a long moment, nothing happened as the light rain made a sizzling sound against the ignited weapons. Suddenly, their battle-meld flared and shots started coming at them from the assorted remote blasters. At first, the control unit kept the pace slow to allow the two of them to get into a rhythm before it started to fire at them in earnest.

Neither of them had experienced a battle-meld in quite a while, and it took the two of them a couple of minutes to get fully in tune with one another, but once they did the effects were immediate. No longer were they two people loosely connected; they became two people acting almost as one. They began mirroring each other's movements, remaining perfectly back-to-back as the incoming shots kept coming at an increasing rate.

About five minutes in, Jacen made a mistake: he swung his 'sabre too far to his right to deflect a shot coming at his head and didn't have time to recover as a shot came from his left, aimed at his left hip. Grimacing, he braced for the jolt. _This is going to sting,_ he thought, forgetting that his thoughts were now shared. With a flash of turquoise, Tenel Ka's blade intercepted the bolt at the last second, deflecting it into the trees. She had reacted purely out of instinct, but now she was horribly out of position to defend herself. With a burst of speed that he didn't know he possessed, Jacen managed to spin a quarter-turn to his right and deflect five bolts, all aimed at Tenel Ka's back. Now, _he _was out of position and they both knew it-the two of them working frantically to get back to a defendable position, all while deflecting the myriad of blaster bolts coming at them. Finally, after a few tense moments, they managed to get back into a groove.

Don't _do that again_. Jacen sent. _You are far more important than I. _He knew that Tenel Ka hated to be thought of as more valuable than any other person. Still, it was fun to goad.

The Queen Mother refused to rise to the bait. _If _I_ don't try to save you, who will?_ She sent back, deadpan.

He knew that she had meant it in jest, but the truth was evident: no one would. Almost everyone else had written him off. Feeling a new wave of despair and loneliness threatening to overwhelm him, he quickly started to close down their meld to protect Tenel Ka from his depression.

Sensing this, she quickly added, _How _did_ you manage to stop all five of those shots, anyway?_ Feeling him stop trying to close the meld down, she let out a breath as he slowly brought it back up. It had been a long time since they had connected like this and she had forgotten how well they could interact on this level, and she had no desire for it to end just yet.

Jacen, determined not to let her down again, replied, _Luck. Lots of Solo luck, sweetheart._

Tenel Ka almost smiled at his use of his father's sayings. In a serious tone, she sent _Why do you hide from me?_

She could almost hear him sigh through their link. _It's not you. I would never hide from you. It's…_everyone_ else. _Before Tenel Ka could formulate a reply, the control unit decided that it would be a good time to increase the pace of its barrage.

Hiding back amongst the trees, Sergeant Kjus was in awe. She didn't think it possible for two people to move _that _fast in concert with one another; it was as if they were performing a dance that only they knew the steps to.

When Teegan had watched the Queen Mother practice against remotes on previous occasions, her boss always looked detached from herself, as if it didn't matter to her whether she got hit by one of those bolts or not. Today though, was different; the one-armed queen had a look of icy fury on her face. It was if she were saying: 'How _dare_ you shoot at us.'

After they had stumbled and managed to escape the onslaught unharmed, Sergeant Kjus got a look at Jacen's face. His expression seemed to say it all: there was _no_ _way_ anything was going to get past him to hurt _his_ queen.

Teegan Kjus frowned slightly at her thought. As she continued to watch them practice though, it became clear: Tenel Ka _was_ his queen, just as Jacen Solo was _her _Jedi Knight. Smiling at her sudden insight, she let out a small yelp as one of the deflected bolts hit the tree that she was hiding behind. Seeing Colonel Solo's satisfied smirk, the Army sergeant chastised herself for not guarding her thoughts better. _Show off_. Teegan could have sworn that Solo's smirk got bigger.

Jacen and Tenel Ka both lost themselves in their meld, each appreciating how much they had missed by not practicing it more frequently. After an undetermined amount of time, Tenel Ka was starting to get _really_ tired. Even with Jacen sending her strength through the meld, she could feel the fatigue in her arm and legs; she could not remember ever keeping this fast a pace for this long a time. Just about when she was going to reach out and hit the 'Emergency Off' switch on the control unit, it let out a loud 'beep' and the blasters quit firing. Breathing heavily, she shut down her lightsaber and wiped the sweat out of her eyes. With the distinctive _hiss-snap_, she heard Jacen do likewise as he slowly withdrew the battle-meld. Alone again with her thoughts, it suddenly became apparent just how much strength Jacen had sent her way: she was _exhausted. _On her thirtieth birthday, she had run a marathon and even that had not left her feeling this fatigued. _Where does he find the strength_? Impressed, she turned to him, only to find him bent at the waist, hands on his knees and breathing heavily. She felt better knowing that he was at least a _little_ tired. "How long did you set the timer for, anyway?"

Standing up, he turned to face her, looking chagrined. "Twenty-five minutes." Tenel Ka raised an eyebrow in surprise. Shrugging apologetically, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

The Queen Mother only shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Indeed."

Stepping closer, Jacen gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, "Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look when you're all sweaty? Especially standing out here in the rain."

"Once." She deadpanned and leaned her head slightly into his hand. "I was forced to challenge him to a duel." Jacen smiled at her flirty remark. Her tone became serious, "You know we are not alone, right?"

Jacen kept his smile as he dropped his hand, running it down her left arm. He sighed wistfully, "I know." Switching hands with his deactivated lightsaber, he continued, "Should we head in? I'll tell you why I wanted to come see you."

Grabbing his hand, she noticed his grimace as she steered them in the opposite direction of the door, "Are you alright?"

Jacen shrugged nonchalantly, hoping that she would not notice his discomfort. "Yeah." He gave her a chagrined look. "I deflected a shot into my foot." A stifled laugh sounded from behind him, and he turned to see Sergeant Kjus who was starting to pack up the remote blasters. Shaking his head, he called out to the young Palace Guard, "Teegan?" He waited for her to look up and he shot her a smile. "Please, there is no need for you to pack up. It'll give Allana and I something to do later."

Teegan Kjus nodded, "Are you sure, Colonel Solo?"

Jacen shot her a mock scowl. _Stupid Hapan protocol._ Drily, he answered, "Yes. It'll be a character building exercise for her."

"Very good." The Hapan Army Sergeant replied, trying to hide her smile; she knew that Jacen _hated_ being called by his title. He continued to tell all of the Palace Guard to call him by his first name and while he managed to convince some of her staff to do so privately, they _still _wouldn't do so in front of the Queen Mother; the very fact that he did not like it was enough to endear him to most of the Palace staff. They appreciated that he felt them to be equals, and respected his attempt to teach the same to trait to Allana.

Jacen shook his head as he turned back to the Queen Mother, content to let her lead him around the Gardens. Quietly, he started to explain the purpose of his visit; "Mom is going to tell the Council about Omas' spending cuts sometime this morning." He paused slightly. "She wanted me to ask that you stop funding the Jedi Order at the end of next month."

She stopped abruptly, clearly shocked. Surprising Tenel Ka Djo was not an easy thing to do but, apparently, his mother just had. Narrowing her eyes quizzically, "Did she say why?"

He took a deep breath as they resumed walking aimlessly around the Gardens. "No; but she was _livid_." Giving her a wry smile, he continued, "Luke Skywalker will learn today that the quickest way to infuriate my parents is to take advantage of one of their friends. The fact that he was taking your monetary support without advising anyone on the Council only added to her ire."

Not bothering to hide her smile, Tenel Ka felt a rush of fondness for the Solos. In truth, she had viewed the two as her 'in-laws' ever since Allana was born, but wasn't sure if they felt the same affection. For Leia to take on the Jedi Council on her behalf showed that both viewed the her as more than just someone who had gone to school with their kids. It made her feel…loved. Snapping out of her reverie, she looked over at Jacen. "What is the rest of the story?"

Sighing again, Jacen was silent for a bit as he reached up and moved a tree branch out of her path. Finally, he continued, "We…Mom and I… don't believe that the Council will take this news well."

Tenel Ka nodded knowingly, she knew whom Jacen meant by 'the Council'. Being Hapan, she also knew political trouble when she heard it, and quickly deduced where this was going. "You think they will call and confront me?"

Jacen shook his head as he let out another sigh. "Nope. I fully expect them to come here in person." Seeing her look of confusion, he explained further. "To be able to get a meeting with you on short-notice infers a certain status_._"

"I could deny an audience." She retorted without any real conviction.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "You _could_. We both know that you won't, though."

The red-haired queen nodded as they continued to wander around her gardens. "A couple of days from now, you think?"

Nodding, he answered, "That would be my guess. Protocol dictates setting up an appointment, after all."

The two of them continued to stroll hand-in-hand for a time, Jacen content to let Tenel Ka mull over her options. After a couple of minutes, she stopped and turned to look him in the eye. "So, tell me Jacen, what is the _real _reason for your visit? You could have told me all of this over the comm."

He smiled at her perceptiveness, he knew that it was only a matter of time before she figured out there was more to his visit than warning her about a couple of Jedi Masters seeking an audience. In a quiet voice, he answered, "I've gone and done something rather…rash, and I wanted to tell you about in person."

Tenel Ka visibly stiffened, her brow knitting together in worry and Jacen frowned slightly. Surely he hadn't disappointed her _that_ much, had he? Mentally castigating himself for disappointing his best friend, he continued. "I've resigned as head of the GAG, effective at the end of next month."

Her grey eyes widened in shock as she only stared at him. It was, he reflected, a pretty impressive achievement. He had just stunned two of the galaxy's most unflappable women, one a former Chief-of-State, the other the current Queen Mother, into silence. All in a three-day span, no less. Taking her hand again, he started to lead her back into the palace. "I'll tell you why over breakfast."

* * *

A/N: As Jacen brought up a couple of chapters ago, I have problems with the way the Jedi Order is funded. Clearly, they get the majority of their funds from the Government, yet the Council is unfriendly at best, and often hostile, towards the Senate. In my opinion, it is no wonder the Senate and Chief-of-State are hostile towards the Jedi; they often act like they are beyond the reach of the very government they serve. If I were a Senator, I'd tell the Council: "If it is true that you 'Serve the Force', let the Force pay for your fighters."

I'm trying to keep Luke in character with what I remember from LotF, but I find it hard to do. From book 3 onwards, he is openly antagonistic towards his nephew and is starting to turn against the very government he helped form. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks again to all of you who are continuing to read and follow my story!


	16. Chapter 16--Sleeping with the Enemy

Chapter 16—Sleeping With the Enemy

That evening...

Tenel Ka was sitting at one end of the couch in her living room, her feet propped up on an oro wood caf table, reading over Admiral Raeder's final draft of the Consortium's formal request to join the Chiss and the Imperial Remnant in Joint-Fleet exercises, Jacen's feet in her lap. She had a meeting in the morning with her Defence Chiefs to finalize the agreement, and she needed to be sure of what Raeder expected from the Navy, at least in principle.

Lying on the couch, using the arm as a pillow, Jacen was reviewing the operation order the Chiss had published for this year's exercise. Looking up from the report, he exclaimed, "Hey, did you know that the Chiss have a new class of fighter?"

Tenel Ka only arched a well-manicured eyebrow as she looked over at him. Sheepishly, he sat up and tossed the report on the caf table. "Ri-ight, you're the Queen Mother, you know all!" This earned him a wry smirk as Tenel Ka turned back to her paperwork. "Still, I'd like to see what these new _AirStraeker IIs_ can do." Jacen leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Okay, I'm off to bed; I. Am. _Beat_."

Tenel Ka nodded and glanced at the small stack of tomorrow's briefing notes laid out on the table; it looked to be about an hour's worth of reading. Returning her attention to the report in her hand, she replied absently, "Go ahead, I will be back in about ninety minutes or so." It wasn't until Jacen had gotten up and started to walk behind the couch to the hallway that she really heard what Jacen had said. Startled, she looked up at the ornate wood chrono that sat on the mantle: 9:15. She whipped her head around to look at her friend, who stopped, clearly puzzled by her reaction. As she looked at Jacen concernedly, she asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

Jacen cocked his head, trying to determine why she was suddenly acting so strange. "Yeah...just tired." He shook his head; "I've been awake for…" he looked at the chrono, scowling as he did the math to convert to Coruscant time, "Twenty…two hours or so."

The red-haired woman nodded as she scrutinized Jacen through their link, trying to remember the last time Jacen admitted to being tired and frowned slightly as she was unable to recall any such admission on his part. Maybe she was only imagining it, but Jacen had acted like he was almost _afraid_ of sleep for the last few years. He would be awake when she had nestled up against him, and was _always_ up before she awoke the next morning. Narrowing her eyes, "Are you sure?"

Confusion still clouded his face, "I'm fine. Really."

Appeased, she finally shrugged in acceptance, "Okay. I will be down in a bit."

Jacen only gave her a strange look as he shook his head and headed down the hall.

After brushing his teeth in the 'fresher, Jacen reentered the Master suite and stopped, looking at her huge bed and remembered Tenel Ka's scathing remark from his last visit echoing in his head: _Do not expect me to drop everything for you simply because you feel 'lonely.' _Thinking back a few months to the last time he and Tenel Ka had made love, Jacen had to admit that he had pressured her into it. _Never again_. He had acted like one of the patrons of the 'club' were Alema and Numa used to work, and had done it to someone he had loved for ages. Depressed by his previous actions, he walked over to a small cabinet in the Queen Mother's enormous walk-in closet where he kept his 'over-night' things, picked out a pair of seldom-used sleep pants, and walked through the 'fresher into Prince Isolder's old suite.

O O(_)O O

The Queen Mother managed to get through Admiral Raeder's proposal, but found herself reading the same paragraph of tomorrow's Wildlife Parks Commission notes four times before giving it up as a bad job. Knowing that Jacen had already read the brief, she would ask him join her for that meeting. _Jacen_. Her lips spread into a small smile as she reflected on their day. Today had been…fun. Tenel Ka had not had _fun_ at work in…well, she could not actually remember a time when work had been fun. After their morning workout, she had found herself surreptitiously flirting with _Mister_ Solo every time she had seen him; her Grandmother's stern voice sounding the entire time, "The Queen Mother does not _flirt_." Her smile got a tad larger as she put her briefing flimsies in the basket for her aide to take back to her office; she would be doing more than _flirting_ with Jacen Solo in about ten minutes.

Sneaking into her room, a smile still on her lips, she started to get ready for bed. As she undressed in her front room, she briefly considered putting on the skimpy negligee that she had not shown him yet, but decided against it. _It will just end up on the floor, anyway._ Wearing nothing but a pair of barely-there panties, she opened her bedroom door and quietly stalked her way to the oversize bed. Her smile slowly disappeared as her eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the Hapan night filtering through her windows; there was nothing on her bed but overstuffed pillows. Grabbing her left bicep with her right hand to cover her chest with her arm, she felt a feeling of despair start to wash over her. As she continued to stare at her empty bed, her despair turned into rage and she started to seethe; today had been nothing but a cruel joke-Jacen had _used_ her. He wanted to prove that she was still a foolish girl, still hoping to gain his affection; that he could play her like a viola.

Fuming, she stomped over to turn on the lights so that she could find her comlink and call the Palace Guard: she wanted Jacen Solo _gone_. Seeing the comlink on her dresser, she walked briskly over toward it. Before she could pick up the comlink however, something caught her eye and made her stop: hanging from the corner of her jewelry box was a well-worn and slightly frayed necklace. Slowly, treating it as if it would disintegrate in her hand, she picked up the leather-stringed, eggshell necklace and stood mesmerized by the way the light shimmered off the iridescent blue eggshell pieces. Her mood softened as she held Jacen's first gift to her, realizing that she was reading this wrong-Jacen was never deliberately cruel, not about matters of the heart. '_That's not why I come._' Suddenly, she understood; he felt guilty about the last time they had made love. In truth, she rather liked his aggressiveness that evening, she would have to make sure to tell him that she did not mind when he acted like that. Another small smile crossed her lips as she hung up her most prized possession and headed for Jacen's most likely 'hiding' spot: the 'Consort' suite.

Jacen was only vaguely aware when Tenel Ka cuddled up against him; however, he became _very_ aware when a _very_ naked Tenel Ka started nibbling on his ear as she whispered, "Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are when you're sleeping, particularly in the moonlight?"

"Once." He deadpanned, trying to roll over as she yanked off his t-shirt, "I had to challenge her to a duel."

She started to nibble on his ear again, as she breathed, "Why are you in here? And why are you wearing _clothes_?"

"I didn't want to presume." He whispered as he moved one hand to her cheek, "I would never play with you, Tenel Ka Djo."

Smiling at the fact that he had picked up her thoughts, even when he was asleep, she started to make her way down his chest. "Do you have any idea what you have done to me today with your mind-meld? Your flirty looks at lunch? Playing footsie at dinner?"

Giving Tenel Ka his best seductive smile, "I'm starting to find out," he whispered, sitting up slightly to kiss her neck. She growled in response and rolled over on top of him, lustily kissing his neck and lips.

After a couple of minutes, it became pretty clear that kissing was as far as they were going to get this evening. Sighing, Jacen buried his head in the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry."

Trying_ very_ hard not to let her frustration show, Tenel Ka kissed his forehead. It had been quite a while since he had not been affectionate like he was today, and she liked the way it made her feel. It made her feel...sexy…and she had this burning desire to show him just how much she appreciated his subtle flirtations; it had been far too long since they had made love. "It's okay." She rolled onto her side so that they were now face-to-face. "Is something wrong?"

"No." He sighed as he ran his fingers down her left side. "I'm just…tired." Through the Force, she could feel his fatigue and nodded in response.

Sitting up, she grabbed his t-shirt from the foot of the bed and felt Jacen roll over onto his back. Pulling on his t-shirt, she braced herself; if she did not say it now, she may never say it. "I think Allana…" she looked over at Jacen only to find him already fast asleep. Her shoulders slumped, it had taken her all day to find the courage to address this topic, and now she would need to find it again. Nestling against his side, she was rewarded as Jacen let out a contented sigh and unconsciously pulled her closer with his left arm, letting her place her head on his shoulder. Whispering to herself, the Queen finished her sentence "…needs to know."

O O(_)O O

A shrill, piercing alarm shattered the early morning silence. Almost as one, two people shot up in bed, each calling a weapon to their hand; Jacen his lightsaber, Tenel Ka a blaster. Their reactions with the Force was most telling; hers bloomed outward to assess any threat, his collapsed in on itself as he used his 'Vongsense' to get a feel for the danger. For reasons he could never explain, Jacen had found that his 'Vongsense' was more acute when trying to determine the location of short-range threats. Maybe it was their warrior nature or maybe it was because their original home world was so inhospitable, but whatever the reason, using his ability to slip into a 'Vong-like' mentality allowed him to track threats far more accurately than the Force did. The fact that it also hid him from other Force users was an added bonus.

Unconsciously, Tenel Ka had shifted slightly to hide herself behind Jacen. Not out of any desire to be protected, but for tactical advantage. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Jacen _was_ the better swordsman, and she needed to give him the least amount of area to defend. Additionally, she could fire her blaster at any assailants while Jacen protected them both from incoming fire. All in all, it was a pretty good defensive stance. Fortunately, it was unneeded. The comlink on the nightstand rang again with the same shill tone. They both relaxed, leaning into one another, her breasts pressing into his back. Releasing a deep breath, Jacen deadpanned, "You have _got_ to get a better ringtone."

She kissed his neck and reached for the comlink, answering it. "Yes."

"Sorry Mum." The voice on the other end sounding chagrined for calling at this time of night. "It's Captain Pärson from the duty desk. I've got a call from Chume'Dan approach control. They've got another inbound ship without a landing permit."

Tenel Ka could only shake her head; this hadn't happened in eleven years, and now it had happened _twice_ in three days. "Let me guess, an Ensign Do'ma is on the other line?"

"Uhh…yes she is. How did you know?"

Rolling her grey eyes, she really meant it as a joke, "Lucky guess. Put her through."

There was an audible 'click' as Captain Pärson transferred the air controller through. Shaking her head again, "Kenara, why does this always happen on your shift?" she joked as she watched Jacen get up and walk through the bathroom and into her room.

The young ensign answered drily, "I'm just lucky. That's what I get for filling in for someone and working a double shift." Tenel Ka's eyes sparkled at the good-natured response. "Anyway Mum, I've got the _Jade Shadow_ holding at Sabre intersection and they did not request a 'landing permit'." From the ensign's tone, Tenel Ka surmised that Kenara knew whom the _Shadow_ belonged to, hence the call. She was becoming more impressed with the young Navy ensign.

"A fault with the NOTAM system, you think?" Tenel Ka wanted to give the Jedi Masters the benefit of the doubt.

She could almost hear Kenara wince, "Unfortunately, no. Coruscant ATC verified receipt of the NOTAM two days ago, and the _Shadow_ is a fast ship." Tenel Ka could almost hear the awe in the controller's voice. "They only left Coruscant yesterday, so they should've seen the advisory."

The Queen Mother let out a sigh, nodding a 'thanks' to Jacen as he returned from her room, handing her a formal-looking nightgown. "Then they just could not be bothered to file." she said aloud, more to herself than to Kenara. "What are our punitive options?"

"Ordinarily, I would not allow them to land; not at this time of night. Our previous issue was…" she paused, almost saying the name of their previous 'intruder', but stopped. They were talking on an unsecured line, and the line could be bugged. "…someone asking for you personally, that's why I came to Commander Vessau. This is just inattention. But, because it's the _Jade Shadow_…"

"More like blatant disregard." Tenel Ka corrected. Quickly, she removed Jacen's t-shirt and slipped on the nightgown. "No, I understand why you called. Can we fine them?"

"Uhh…"the queen could hear the lieutenant typing furiously on a keyboard to look up the correct regulation. "Yes, Mum. We can cite them for a willful airspace incursion. One thousand Hapan credits is the maximum fine."

"Do so." She thought for a second. "Have them land at the city spaceport's VIP ramp. Please pass to the spaceport official that the landing fees are _not _waived." It was customary for the Crown to waive all landing fees for dignitaries visiting Hapes on official business but because Masters Skywalker did not coordinate with her office about an official business meeting, and since they were arriving at 02:45 in the morning, Tenel Ka did not feel the need to be charitable. "Stress to them that they are _not _landing at the Palace."

She could hear the mirth in Kenara's voice. She had just given Kenara Do'ma some extra muscle, if she needed it. "Roger. I'll coordinate with the Chume'Dan ops desk. Sorry to bother you at this hour."

Tenel Ka snorted, "I would rather it be you than Fleet Command." She heard Kenara's chuckle. "What time does your shift end, anyway?"

She could hear the confusion in the young woman's voice, "0700, mum."

She allowed a small smile, "Great. I will save you a seat for breakfast."

"Certainly, your majesty. Do'ma out." The line clicked.

"Captain Pärson?" she said, knowing that the Army captain was still on the line.

"Mum?" the captain answered immediately.

"Can we spare someone to go to the spaceport? I would hate to call protocol at this unholy hour."

"That won't be a problem."

"Good." The queen paused, "Tell them not to leave for another twenty minutes. I want to make our guests think that we had to scrounge someone up for driver detail."

Captain Pärson chuckled, "Yes, Mum."

O O(_)O O

After a few minutes, the approach controller came back. "_Jade Shadow_, you are cleared the approach for the Chume'dan spaceport. Be advised, we are levying a thousand-credit fine for not complying with Hapan Air Traffic rules. Fly heading 150, maintain 1000 meters until established on the localizer."

Mara shot her husband an 'I told you so' look as he responded to the call. "Chume'dan? We requested vectors for the Trevi spaceport." The Hapans had named the port at the Palace after one of the galaxy's more famous fountains, the monstrous Trevi Fountain on Naboo. Luke again reached out with the Force to try to influence the Approach Controller. As before, he found her mind impossible to penetrate, at least at this distance.

Kenara Do'ma was starting to get mad. Mr. Skywalker had _purposely_ disregarded Hapan regulations and had the further audacity to request a landing at the Palace? At least Danni Quee had the decency to sound apologetic, and she had failed to request a permit inadvertently. Kenara let her voice rise as she bit out her retort, "_Jade Shadow, _you are cleared the approach at Chume'dan. _Any_ deviations from that course, and I launch the alert fighters." She knew that Skywalker could probably outfly everyone in the Hapan fleet, but she would _not_ be buffaloed.

Before Luke could reply, Mara touched his arm. "Don't. This is a message from Tenel Ka. She does not appreciate us coming unannounced at 0245 in the morning."

Luke nodded, letting out a breath. "Of course." Keying the microphone, "Jade Shadow is heading 150, and maintaining 1000 until established." He looked over at his wife, "If we had brought the Stealth X's, this wouldn't be an issue."

Mara shot him an incredulous look. "So that we could _break in_ to the Fountain Palace?" She shook her head, her red hair swishing behind her. "No way. At best Tenel Ka meets us with lightsaber drawn; worst case, she has us arrested. Either way, we lose. We _cannot_ alienate her." She paused, thinking. "This is coming dangerously close, as it is. I can already feel her indignation."

O O(_)O O

As Tenel Ka thumbed off the comlink, Jacen handed her a cup of freshly brewed caf from the caf-maker in her room. Seeing her nod her thanks, he opined, "They are using a standard police tactic. Raiding a suspect's house in the early morning hours is the most advantageous time. Most people are asleep, they are disoriented when they wake, and are usually wearing very little. People tend to put up less of a fight under those conditions." Tenel Ka looked at him warily as she took a sip; she didn't really want to know why he knew that.

Jacen continued, "They'll probably play 'good cop-bad cop'." He saw her look of disbelief and smiled. "I know, it sounds like a holodrama, but just because everyone knows about it doesn't mean it's not effective. The oldest tricks are sometimes the best." He looked at her earnestly, "You've had a pretty good relationship with Luke over the years; I would expect him to be the 'bad cop'." Sighing, "At least that's how I'd play it if I were them. Don't forget, Mara had a career doing this sort of thing." Again, Tenel Ka saw that he was speaking from experience, and it unnerved her a bit. Still, it was good _professional_ advice. Knowing how they were going to treat her allowed her to prepare for it. On one level, she was impressed at how well both of them were separating their emotions from this. Through their link, she could feel Jacen seething, but he refused to let it get in the way of what needed to be done. For the second time today, she found herself impressed with Jacen Solo.

"It could be something else." She offered, hopefully.

Jacen shook his head, "If it were an emergency, somebody would've called." Pulling on his t-shirt, "Nope, this is a shake-down, no doubt about it."

Tenel Ka nodded; it was just an idle hope. "Take Allana to my father's apartment. I'll join you there when we've finished."

"Sure thing." He paused on the way to the door, "You know, I have _no_ idea where he even lives!" He winked at her and left before she could reply; Captain Pärson would tell him how to get to Isolder's flat.

The queen smirked as he left, sitting on the bed for a few moments before getting up to make herself ready for the Skywalkers. Behind her, she heard the door open again, and Jacen took a step back into the room, a sleeping Allana in his arms. "By the way, they are going to blame me for what the Senate wants to do."

Tenel Ka nodded absently as he turned and left again. She had surmised as much; sort of a 'divide and conquer' routine. She noticed that Jacen left their mental link open, just in case.

Before heading down the Throne Room, she made her way into her bedroom closet and grabbed one of her robes. At first, she was confused as to why Jacen chose the formal nightgown that he gave her, but now understood. Her 'guests' needed to understand _who_ she was, and the formal nightgown and robe certainly implied status. Putting her lightsaber in one the pockets, she headed out the door; almost running into Captain Pärson as she did so.

Nodding formally to the Queen Mother, the shift supervisor quickly got Tenel Ka up to speed as to where her troops were. "Corporal Ruud is escorting Colonel Solo to your father's apartment, and I'm sending Petty Officer Stenmark to go to pick up our guests."

Tenel Ka nodded as the marched down the hallway. "Thanks, Anja. Please have her escort the Skywalkers to the Throne Room when they arrive." The Army captain nodded. Coming to the stairway that connected her apartment to the Throne Room, Tenel Ka stopped, looking contemplative. Glancing over at the Captain, "One more thing, Anja. I need two guards armed with heavy blasters to come to the Throne Room."

Captain Pärson was taken aback. She knew that the Queen Mother was more than capable of defending herself. The Palace Guard often joked that their job was to carry off the bodies of any assailants after their Queen had diced them up. Cautiously, she asked, "Expecting trouble?" Now that threats to the Queen had become so rare as to be non-existent, the Palace Guard was only a third of what it once was. Captain Pärson needed to know if she should recall additional personnel. She had enough to cover the Queen's request, but perhaps more were needed.

Tenel Ka seemed to know what she was thinking and gave her a small sigh. "No, don't call in anyone from home. My guests are _not_ happy with what I am about to do. I think they need a visual reminder of who I am." Her tone saddened, "I am not just that Dathomiri warrior-girl anymore."

Anja nodded as she gave her boss a concerned look. With another half-bow, she left her Queen alone with her thoughts and called in the two additional guards from elsewhere in the Palace.

When the two guards she requested had arrived, she positioned one in Anhaje's office to act as a doorman and the other she told to remain out of sight behind the door connecting the Throne Room to the Grand Ballroom via the hidden set of stairs.

After everything was situated, Tenel Ka made a note on her datapad to reward tonight's shift for all the additional work she asked them to do as she sat down behind her desk to review notes for tomorrow morning's…she frowned…_this_ morning's Defence Status Briefing.

O O(_)O O

As Jacen made his way to Isolder's apartment, he reflected that he had never seen this section of the Palace. For whatever reason, this wing seemed more…comfortable. Corporal Ruud caught him looking at a painting done in an Alderaanian impressionistic style and nodded. "Prince Isolder had a hand in selecting the décor of this wing. I think that he grew tired of the pretense in the Royal Wing." Jacen nodded, he could certainly understand that. Ta'a Chume had decorated the Royal Apartment lavishly, and neither Teneniel nor her daughter had bothered to redecorate. When he had asked Tenel Ka about it years ago, she replied that her mother did not wish to fight a battle with her mother-in-law about _decorations_, and she herself could not justify spending the money when so many Hapans were still rebuilding their lives. Now that the war had been over for a while longer, perhaps he would ask again.

Shifting a sleeping Allana to his other arm, he was about to ask his 'guide' how long she had been working at the Palace when the corporal came to an abrupt stop. He frowned slightly when she inserted a small probe into what looked like an electrical outlet. Suddenly, to their left, a portion of the wall retracted upward and a door was revealed. "Clever." Jacen said quietly to himself.

Corporal Ruud gave Jacen a shy smile, "This apartment was used by previous Queen Mothers for daytime trysts with whomever caught their fancy; hence, the hidden door." Giving Jacen a meaningful look, "The current occupant of the throne has not carried on _that _tradition." She nodded at the door, "The Prince is expecting you, go on in."

Jacen only shook his head smiling, "Thanks for the tour, you've been _most_ informative."

Entering Isolder's apartment, he looked quickly for the Crown Prince but didn't see him about. Thinking him to be still asleep, Jacen put Allana in the first bedroom he could find. As she cuddled up with her stuffed tauntaun, Jacen gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave the room, almost colliding with Isolder. The older man smiled and bent down to give his granddaughter an affectionate kiss as well. Quietly, the two of them left her room, closing the door. As he led Jacen into the kitchen, Isolder asked over his shoulder, "Caf? Tea?"

Jacen shrugged, "I'll have what you're having."

"Tea it is, then."

Jacen smiled as he looked around. "Nice place." He commented, meaning it. Isolder's apartment wasn't as large as he expected. A kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, study, two bedrooms and a 'fresher were all Jacen could see. The walls were painted a light grey color and adorned with several other Impressionist paintings. All told, a pretty nice bachelor pad.

Isolder nodded as the water started to boil. "Thanks. I've always thought that the official residence to be a bit…much." Jacen gave him a knowing smile as the Prince continued, "So, what brings you to my humble abode? At…" he looked at the chrono above the stove, "…0300?" Isolder was rather used to Allana being dropped off at weird hours. The Palace ran emergency 'Royal' evacuation drills periodically, and his place was the first stop for Allana. From there, he would take her via a tunnel to a hidden hangar where his personal fighter was waiting. However, Jacen Solo had never taken part in evacuation drills before, and he was curious to know what that implied.

Jacen offered him a deep sigh as a partial response. "Family trouble." He answered, finally. Isolder quickly turned to look at his guest, alarm clearly written on his face. Jacen shook his head, "No. Not _us._ We're actually doing…better." Jacen nodded his thanks as his 'father-in-law' handed him a cup of tea. Sadly, he admitted, "We are still a ways away from 'great', or even 'fine', but at least we aren't on scared to talk to each other anymore." Isolder smiled at his candor, knowing how difficult the younger man's admission was. Leaning against the counter, Jacen gave him a thankful half-smile and continued, "My uncle decided to pop in for a visit."

Isolder frowned. That seemed a bit unlike the Luke Skywalker he was familiar with. "At this hour? Do tell."

Snorting, Jacen told him of his conversation that he had with Chief Omas, his talking with his mother, his telling Leia about Tenel Ka's partial funding of the Order, and of Leia's meeting with the Jedi Council."

The Crown Prince was rather perplexed. "Skywalker blames you?" Luke was not one to make unsubstantiated claims. Thoughtfully, he asked quietly, "Are you to blame?"

Jacen grimaced as he looked away for a second. "To answer the second question: Maybe I _am_ to blame. The truth_ is_ sometimes a matter of point of view. I did agree with Omas to press forward with the funding cuts. Politically, it is not worth fighting over the Jedi." He took a sip of tea. "As to the first: I think that the Order needs to change." Shaking his head again, he added quietly, "It makes me a handy scapegoat. Rather than answering the Senate critics, the Order would rather go elsewhere for funding."

Isolder hopped up onto the kitchen counter, sitting across from Jacen. "When did you find out that she was funding the Jedi?"

Jacen ran his fingers through his hair, "A month ago or so." He paused before guiltily pressing on. "We were having a fight about…something dumb, and she made a comment about people only calling when they wanted something." He paused, pain etched on his face. Isolder could only wonder about what Jacen had asked of his daughter. "Anyway, after some prodding, she finally admitted to what she had been doing."

"Did she say how much?"

The younger man shook his head slightly. "No; and I asked point blank. She said it wasn't any of my business. I was told: 'they are _my_ accounts, and I will spend them as I wish.'"

The Prince rolled his eyes at Jacen's pretty fair impression of Tenel Ka's voice. "A lot, then."

Nodding, Jacen replied, "That would be my guess."

Isolder scowled, "I _am_ curious as to why your mother wants her to cease funding the Jedi."

At this, Jacen shook his head and allowed a small chuckle. "She _hates_ it when people try to use her friends. You should have seen her." He looked away, lost in a memory, "The last time I saw my mother _that_ mad was when Tenel Ka, Jaina, and myself snuck out to see a movie."

The blonde prince laughed; in truth, he had all but forgotten about that incident...

O O(_)O O

During one of their first breaks at the Academy, Isolder had allowed Tenel Ka to go to Coruscant, over the objections of Teneniel. His wife thought the Solo kids to be a bad influence, but he countered that she needed _some_ friends. "Life at the Palace is lonely enough," he had argued, "let her enjoy being a teen for a bit." Although, if he were honest, he would've admitted that he was a _little_ worried about sending his daughter to Coruscant.

One of the three kids; Jaina, if Isolder had to guess, decided that it would be great fun to go to a midnight movie. In their defense, it was something innocuous: a cartoon about a mermaid, if he recalled properly. And they weren't even gone that long: three hours, maybe. The problem was that they neglected to tell Han and Leia where they were going. Imagine: the twin children of the Chief-of-State together with the heir to the Hapan Consortium, all sneaking out the house at 11:30 at night, without a care in the world.

Prince Isolder never did find out what woke Leia up that night, but he _did_ know that she waited in their living room, sick with worry, until the three of them returned. When she saw that they were unharmed, her worry turned into a tornado of anger, grounding Jaina and Jacen on the spot. Tenel Ka had stoically accepted that to be her fate as well, but Leia had other plans. "I don't have the authority to ground you." The Chief-of-State had told his daughter, "So, I'm going to make you call your parents."

When Isolder got the call, his first reaction after Tenel Ka told him what she had done was to tell her to catch the next available flight to Hapes. But the look on his daughter's face said it all: Leia's punishment of making her call home was _far_ worse than anything he could have done. Tenel Ka had embarrassed her father in front of the Chief-of-State of the New Republic, and she knew it. His icy look softened, and he gave a thoughtful nod at Leia, who was visible in the background. "You will share in your friends' punishment." Sternly, he added, "We will discuss this further when you come home." Tenel Ka only nodded, relief showing on her face.

Oddly, Isolder never worried about his daughter going to stay with the Solos after that.

O O(_)O O

After a few moments of nearly comfortable silence, Isolder asked, "May I continue our conversation from earlier?"

Jacen shrugged; he knew that the Prince meant the conversation they had over breakfast a few weeks back. "Why not. It's not as if I can go anywhere."

Isolder gave the younger man a wry smile, he knew that Jacen was uncomfortable with this, but being a 'father-in-law' gave him certain inquisitional privileges. His look turned serious. "Why do you stay?"

A quizzical look crossed over the Jedi's face. That was not the question he was expecting. Snorting, he replied, "I've never been asked that. Most ask why a Queen would be friends with a guy like me."

Isolder's tone became thoughtful, "Most don't know how hard it is. At times, I hated being Prince Consort, and I grew up assuming that I might be one." He gestured at the door, "All these 'suitors'; they brag that they could best you in a fair fight. They talk about how pathetic you are, not even trying to impress the Queen with your physical prowess; they speak of you meekly spending time with her daughter in the hopes that you can catch a word with the Queen. They all talk as if the only reason she allows you to come here is because she is too polite to tell her childhood friend to leave her alone." His voice became one of embarrassment; "They all see that she barely acknowledges you when you are here."

Jacen nodded. Many of the Palace staff had told him what the various members of the nobility had been saying about him. Most implored him to challenge some of these cretins to a saber duel and he always replied with something along the lines of, "I know I could kick their butt, _you_ know I could kick their butt, so there is no real need to do so." His answers had endeared him to the Palace staff; but, truth be told, he _desperately_ wanted to embarrass one of her 'suitors'.

Isolder continued, "To a man, they think that they could do a better job than you are, and they don't even know that you _have_ the job. They are so fixated on bedding the Queen, they don't think about what else being the Consort entails." Jacen cringed, this conversation was turning awkward, and he really didn't have an escape. "What I'm getting at, Jacen, is that you have impressed me. Any of these other idiots would have run years ago. Yet, you take all of this in stride. It _must_ bother you, all this secrecy, yet you continue to be with her. Why?"

Jacen couldn't help it; he was actually starting to _like_ his 'father-in-law'. It must be because it was now 03:15 and he was only running on caffeine. Sighing, "I stay because she needs someone outside the Palace to confide in. I stay because she accepts all of my reservations, she understands why I'm always looking for an alternate view of the Force." He paused, trying to articulate what was being unsaid. "I stay because I love her immensely; more than I ever thought possible. I stay because…" he trailed off. Jacen knew that Isolder knew who Allana's father was, but he was still reluctant to admit it out loud. This was _still_ Hapes after all.

"You stay because of Allana." Isolder finished, knowing why Jacen was reluctant to admit to being Allana's father. He wanted to assure the younger man that the infamous 'palace intrigue' was a thing of the past, that he would _never_ jeopardize his granddaughter. Jacen nodded, pain showing in his eyes. Isolder asked in a kindly tone, "Does it hurt? Not being able to acknowledge her?"

Jacen's gaze dropped to the floor, "It hurts that she doesn't know. It bothers me that I'm not…'daddy'."

Isolder said nothing for a few moments. He was disappointed in his daughter, although he would never admit it. He was unsure of what Jacen Solo was doing on Coruscant, but it was clear that Tenel Ka blew it by not asking him to be Prince Consort years ago. If Isolder could see that, why couldn't she? Finally, he broke their uneasy silence. "I wish that you would've told me."

The GAG Colonel chuckled humorlessly and looked again at the Prince, "Me too. I don't say this lightly, but I think that your daughter has handled this badly. I think that she has remembered the wrong lesson from your mother in this matter: Tenel Ka remembered the lesson that _everyone_ is out to get her."

A look of disbelief crossed Isolder's handsome face, "You've told no one?" He assumed that either Leia or Jaina knew. He knew how close Jacen was, or had been, to his mother and sister. The younger man only shook his head. Isolder knew what that implied. It meant…"She threatened you?"

Jacen let out a deep breath. He would not sell out Tenel Ka; it had been a decision that they had both made. Sure, there was an understanding of what would happen if he didn't agree, but they both felt that there was a risk to Allana.

Isolder held up his hand, forestalling an answer. "I see." He couldn't keep his disappointment from his face. Why would Tenel Ka do such a thing? His own daughter, threatening the only man that ever loved her for her; telling Jacen that he had to keep Allana a secret or else she would bar him from seeing his daughter. If it weren't for the fact that she already getting grilled by Skywalker, he would've gone down there and given her a piece of his mind. He and Teneniel _did not_ raise her to be a coward. If she cannot trust her own family, then is there no one left _to_ trust?

O O(_)O O

A/N: As before, this is an especially long chapter on my computer, so I've broken it in half for easier reading. Part II will be up on Thursday. Special thanks to all of you who have favorited, followed, and reviewed!


	17. Chapter 17--For Every Action

**Chapter 17: For Every Action…**

Since it is now after midnight on Hapes, it is now thirty-four days prior…

* * *

A young Army second lieutenant stuck his head in the door. "You Majesty?" Tenel Ka looked up from her report, "Your guests have arrived."

She nodded at the young man. "Thank you Lieutenant. Send them in, please." Subconsciously, she realized just how far the Consortium had come. To have this young man serve as a guard in the palace two generations ago would have been unthinkable. Now, no one gave it a second thought.

The door opened wider to allow Luke and Mara entry into the Throne Room. Tenel Ka stood up, nodding at the two of them. "Masters Skywalker."

"Queen Mother." Mara answered in a friendly tone. It seemed that Jacen was correct in his assumption; Mara would be the 'good cop'. The two of them approached the Queen Mother, each giving a slight bow. Mara gave Tenel Ka a warm smile, trying to ease the tension. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice. How have you been?"

Tenel Ka shrugged slightly, "Fine, thank you. And you?" She never was one for small talk, and it seemed especially contrived under the circumstances.

Mara sighted and gave her husband a pointed look. "We've had better days." The younger woman nodded sympathetically; finding out that a third or more of your funding was disappearing in a month _would_ put a damper on your day. "And Allana? How is she doing?"

At this, Tenel Ka did allow a polite smile and rolled her eyes. "Growing like a weed. It is hard to believe that she will be starting school in a few months."

Luke finally offered a small smile, the first expression he had since he walked into her office. She could feel him reaching out, trying to sense Allana's presence. Tenel Ka smiled to herself; she and Jacen had both taught Allana how to shield her thoughts, and Jacen had taught her how to _hide_. Even more impressively, Allana could _hide_ while sleeping; a skill that she herself could not pull off. Seeing that Luke was not able to find Allana with the Force, she remarked, "She is spending the weekend with her father." Tenel Ka allowed herself a slight smile, if she learned nothing else from her grandmother, she learned how to hide in plain sight.

Both of her guests tried to hide their shock, but she had become _very_ adept at reading people's expressions. Ta'a Chume might have been a foul woman, but she taught her granddaughter a thing a two about politics: keep your opponent off-balance, seize the initiative of a conversation and never let it go.

Before he could stop himself, Luke blurted out, "I was unaware…" he trailed off, knowing how dumb that sounded.

Tenel Ka raised an eyebrow, finishing his sentence "…that there _was_ a father?" She chuckled humorlessly, "Master Luke, I am _not _Shmi Skywalker." Mara laughed and Luke shot his wife a look.

"I was _going_ to say that I was unaware that you had anything to do with her father." Before the Queen Mother could respond, "What does Jacen think of this?" He knew that her and Jacen were communicating, and _everyone_ knew that Jacen still had feelings for his friend, much as he tried to hide it. Furthermore, Luke wanted to regain control of the conversation.

Tenel Ka's eyes flashed with anger, "Jacen Solo is in no position to argue. You _have_ seen the news, have you not?" Two weeks ago, Jacen had taken _her_ to a black-tie charity fundraiser, an event that had been covered by most of the press. By all accounts, _she_ was practically fawning over the handsome GAG Colonel.

If there were ever anyone that Tenel Ka Djo would ever admit of being jealous of, it would be _her_: Gorah Dibbon. Back when they were teens, Jacen had purchased _all_ of Gorah's albums; he had a poster of her in his room at the academy; he went to see her in concert…_three times_; he even knew when her birthday was. In Tenel Ka's mind, the fact that Ms. Dibbon was exactly three months older than Jacen just made it that much worse. Tenel Ka had lost count of how many times she gritted her teeth and forced herself to listen patiently as her friend babbled about how pretty he thought Gorah was, about how cool it was that they were born on the same day of the month, about how neat it would be if he could actually _meet_ her. Then, shortly after he gets a little clout, he has the _gall _to invite Ms. Gibbon to a fundraiser? In her mind's eye, she could still see the pictures from that event: Jacen's arm around a scandalously dressed Ms. Dibbon, smiling the smile that he used to only give to her.

When Jacen had accepted the job as the head of the Galactic Alliance Guard, he and Tenel Ka had talked at some length about the high-profile functions he would have to attend, and she told him that he _would_ be expected to bring a date. At the time, she had dismissed his concerns; after all, she had been attending those types of events for years, and he had not once complained about her dates. Then he had to go and bring _her_. Gorah Dibbon.

Before her rage could reach a boil, there was a small voice in the back of her head that whispered: _Now you know how he feels_. For years, even when he was on his 'great explore', Jacen would either send a message or comm directly and mention how pretty she looked in her dress at her previous gala. Even half a galaxy away, she could sense his feigned enthusiasm and assumed that it was because he did not care for the extravagance. Now she knew-Jacen was _jealous_. He was jealous of the men that escorted her those events. Now, the shoe was on the other foot, and she _hated_ it.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Luke knew that he had regained the upper hand in the conversation, and wished to press his advantage. "When was the last time you talked to Jacen?"

Tenel Ka wasn't sure what made her more upset: the fact that she had allowed Luke to gain control of the talks, or the fact that he was asking a question she _knew_ he already knew the answer to. Answering icily, "A couple of days ago." She fixed Luke with a piercing stare, "So, yes…I know that the Senate is going to cut your funding by a third."

Mara interjected before her husband could reply. "The cut to our funding _is_ a concern." Mara admitted, "But we are more concerned that Jacen has convinced you with his lies about the Senate bill." She paused, letting her accusation sink in. "We feel that Jacen is behind the bill to cut Jedi funding."

Raising an eyebrow, the Queen Mother looked inquisitively at the older woman. "Based on what evidence? My sources in the Senate have not mentioned Colonel Solo's name being connected in anyway with this bill." Her source had mentioned a Kuati Senator as being the chief author of this new bill, nowhere in her report did she mention the GAG, and her source was _very_ thorough. Masters Skywalker were going to have to better than this.

O O(_)O O

Isolder hopped off the counter and made his way to sit at the table in the breakfast nook. As Jacen followed, the Prince asked, "So, now that you're no longer employed by Omas, what do you make of the Corellian fiasco?"

The younger man sighed. "Well, since the operation to disable Centerpoint didn't go as planned…" He trailed off, disgusted at his own failures. Isolder gave him a knowing look as Jacen shook his head to clear his reverie of the failed mission. Looking earnestly at the aging Prince, he decided it was time to put the plan he and Danni had discussed all those nights ago into action. "Serious negotiations need to get started." He winced, looking guilty, "Third party talks, since it is doubtful Corellia will talk to anyone from Coruscant."

Isolder nodded. It would seem that Jacen had been giving this some thought. "Who would you recommend?" The Crown Prince had been around politics a _very _long time, so he was pretty sure whom Jacen had in mind, but he wanted the young man to articulate his ideas. Once Jacen put his plan on the table, Isolder felt that he could convince his 'son-in-law' to take ownership of the plan and orchestrate these talks.

Although not as experienced as the Prince of the Hapes Consortium, Jacen knew enough to realize Isolder was maneuvering him. Still, somebody needed to do _something_. Giving the older man a wry look, Jacen answered, "The Remnant has the most to gain by participating in such an effort. It would give Admiral Paelleon a chance to show the galaxy at large that they are responsible citizens; that they are _not_ my father's Empire." Isolder smiled at the reference as Jacen continued, "For more diplomatic muscle, it would be best for another neutral party to take part in these talks." Giving the Prince a pointed look, "I can think of another party who would gain considerable prestige if they could help broker such a peace deal."

Isolder snorted, catching the not-so-veiled hint, "Indeed they could." His look turned serious, "How do we go about getting these talks started?" Again, he was playing teacher, only asking questions he knew the answers to. Would Jacen jump at the bait?

Jacen replied much quicker than Isolder expected; obviously, Leia's son had given this issue a _great deal_ of thought. Unconsciously, Jacen stood up and started pacing around the table. "Low level talks, at first. Probably low level throughout." He paused, trying to articulate his plan. "I know we can't bargain with Gejjen, so we avoid him all together. We use your Chief of Corellian Affairs at the External Affairs Ministry to talk to their Under-Secretary of…" Jacen paused, trying to remember the name of the Corellian equivalent, "…Hapan Foreign Policy. We sell it to him? ... her?" He shook his head, "Whomever. Anyway, we sell our plan at that level. We use that person to help sell it to their Foreign Secretary."

Isolder smiled, both at the level of passion that Jacen was exuding, and at the fact that he had reeled the younger man in. Jacen's use of 'we' was proof enough that he was on board to coordinate these talks. Together, they could sell the Remnant on this. They could change the shape of the galaxy. "At some point, we are going to have to include Gejjen."

Still pacing, Jacen shook his head. "Not necessarily. I don't believe that most people in the Corellian Parliament are too keen on going to war. We sell this to their Foreign Secretary; _he_ leaks it to Parliament. Once Parliament gets word that there is a peace plan out there, they will pressure Gejjen to take our proposal seriously."

A frown formed on Isolder's distinguished face. "That's a pretty intricate plan. Are sure we have time for it?"

Jacen smiled a predatory smile, "We do. We spend the time to mine our data and dig up all the skeletons we can find on Gejjen, and I'm sure that there are plenty. We quietly release this information to CorSec, to the press, to the opposition, anyone who is interested. Gejjen will be forced to take a deal with us so that he can offer something to the Parliament that he is interested in working for the good of Corellia."

The older man grinned, impressed. "Are you sure you are not part Hapan?"

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Jacen shook his head as he replied, "You tell me. Mom has never said why she talks to you so often."

This garnered a wry chuckle from Isolder before his look turned serious again, "What is our bargaining position?"

Jacen picked his cup of tea up off of the table and took a long sip, trying to buy some time to best phrase his response. Putting the cup down, he vaguely noticed Isolder's smirk as he started to pace again. Letting out a deep breath, "We make their negotiators aware of just how deep an abyss true independence can be. Will all of the current trade agreements still apply? What do we do about the millions of Corellians that are in the employ of various GFFA organizations? How does this affect Corellians currently in the Alliance military? How do they plan to replace some of the non-military services that the Alliance provides? Services like interstellar mail. What about Holonet access? That, too, is a tax-payer funded entity."

He stopped and looked at the older man, "I seriously doubt that the President has given any thought to these matters, and they could take _years_ to resolve." Jacen shook his head, "'Independence from Coruscanti meddling' makes a great campaign slogan. Life isn't as clear cut."

Jacen started to pace again. "Corellians are gamblers, and gamblers like to bet on a sure thing. Our bargaining position will be: You can leave, but we take away all these benefits and you have to negotiate with us to buy access to them. We show them just how badly the odds are stacked against them."

"What about 'Never tell me the odds'?" Isolder rejoined.

Colonel Solo only snorted. "Dad and Lando only said that when they were clearly backed into a corner and had no other option. We don't try to force Coronet's hand, we just point out the folly of pursuing true independence."

Despite himself, the Crown Prince was impressed. He never really knew what attracted his daughter to Jacen Solo, but now he was starting to see it. Jacen had the rare ability to see beyond the façade of what was presented and figure out what was underneath: he saw through the cold exterior of a Hapan Princess, and he can get past the bluster of a Corellian President.

However, there was still the issue of a rather large, mostly operational, space station to deal with. "What do we do about Centerpoint?"

Jacen sighed; he was _really_ getting tired of dealing with the damned place. "I don't know." He admitted. "Obviously, my previous attempt was a fiasco." Jacen looked at Isolder and the older man gave him a small smile. He shrugged and turned to look out the window behind him. "I'm more concerned about their other demands."

After taking a sip of tea, Isolder replied, "Publically, we can't be seen to acquiesce to their demands. _Privately_, however, we can assure them that the Alliance will enact stricter auditing on the distribution of monies." Jacen nodded thoughtfully as the Prince continued, "After the furor dies down, the Alliance can _quietly_ let the individual systems assume more local control of Fleet activities in their sector. Turn it into more of a 'Home Guard'; each system gets more of the day-to-day responsibility of manning and operating the fleet, Coruscant has final say in funding and retains strategic control in times of crisis."

Catching on to the plan, Jacen interjected, "And we do the same thing with the Army. It becomes almost a militia. By applying it galaxy-wide, we are able to give in to their biggest concerns, without _looking_ like we've caved in to their demands."

Isolder leaned back in his chair and pointed at the younger man, clearly pleased with his conclusion. "Exactly." He smiled. "When can you start selling this to Omas?"

Jacen frowned, "Me? Oh, no. I'm just a Colonel in the Galactic Alliance Guard. I don't have nearly enough clout."

His 'father-in-law' chuckled, "You _were _a Colonel. Now, you're a lame duck." He paused, thinking. Staring straight into Jacen's eyes, Isolder's tone turned serious. "You are currently one of the most admired men on Coruscant and the son of one of the most respected women in history. You _can_ make this work. You ended the last war; you have the chance to prevent the next one." He gave Jacen a knowing smile; "Imagine how you will look to the Ruling Council if you pull this off. They wouldn't dare oppose such a selfless hero."

Jacen tried to glare at the older man, but it didn't have any real malice behind it. He wanted to say that he didn't give a damn what the Ruling Council thought of him; Isolder, however, would see it for the lie it was. Jacen knew that he could never be the Prince Consort unless the Council either approved of him or, barring that, at least was not _opposed_ to the idea of a Jedi as Prince Consort. The more that he watched Allana grow up, the more Jacen desperately wanted to be on Hapes. As he sat down, he growled, "That's pretty low."

Isolder only shrugged. "It is. This _is_ the right thing to do, however." He paused, and was going to say more when Jacen sprang to his feet, and looked in the direction of the main part of the palace, worry clearly etched on his face.

Isolder noticed that the Jedi's hand was in his pocket, probably fingering his lightsaber. As he got to his feet, he could see that Jacen's eyes were closed. He knew enough about the Force to know that the young man was communicating with his daughter. He also knew that Tenel Ka was quite capable, so for Jacen to be this worried…"Trouble?"

Jacen seemed to be looking _through_ the walls of the palace. He answered slowly, "Maybe."

That was all Isolder needed; rushing over to open the door, he motioned towards his son-in-law, "Go." He could tell that the Jedi _desperately_ wanted to help, but do so would undo all their secrecy of the last six years. Isolder stared into the younger man's eyes, and commanded, "Go. Go help my daughter. We'll figure out the rest later." That seemed to be all Jacen needed, he nodded once and sprinted out of the door and down the hall.

O O(_)O O

Luke stood and started to pace, his frustration clearly visible. "He is _using_ you, Your Majesty. You must see this."

Tenel Ka continued to glare at her former master. "Jacen has not asked me for so much as a credit in four years. The last thing that he asked of me was to borrow my Fourth Fleet." She paused and let her tone turn cold, "Surely you remember that? _You_ used it during the Killik Crisis."

Wincing at the jibe, Mara replied, "Jacen _is_ becoming dangerous. Don't his actions at Centerpoint and his roundup of ex-pat Corellians have you worried?"

Struggling to remain calm, Tenel Ka kept her grey eyes fixed on the still pacing Luke Skywalker. "Centerpoint was a mission that _you_ sent him on, was it not?" She allowed her voice to rise, "Is this your leadership style? Send your best out on a no-win mission and then blame _him_ when it goes wrong?" Luke shot her an icy glare, and she replied with her most condescending tone, "I am sure Leia would be thrilled to know that you are blaming her son for _your_ misreading of the Corellian situation." Tenel Ka gave him the predatory 'I have you now' smirk that she usually reserved for a Ruling Council member that had committed herself to a position that was untenable. "Master Skywalker, I suggest that you leave the politics to those who are more suited to it."

Luke wheeled around and opened is mouth to retort, only to find the grey-eyed queen standing and staring down at him. She continued her tirade, her voice becoming louder, "As for the ghettos: What is _your _solution? _Your _Order," she emphasized the first word to make it clear that she was no longer considered part of the Jedi Order, "has not offered any ideas to solve the current crisis. You have _not_ offered to protect the Corellians that are being attacked on Coruscant. _You_ have not offered to mediate a solution." She pointed at his chest as her voice reached a fevered pitch, "Either offer the Senate an alternate means to keep the peace, or…Shut. Up." As Queen, she hated the politicians who only sat back and tried to sabotage the efforts of others.

Mara jumped up at this. "Have a care, Queen Mother. Master Skywalker has always been a supporter of your regime, when he is under no obligation to do so."

"For which I have more than enumerated him for." Tenel Ka shot back, still staring at Luke. Sensing Mara's attempt to defuse the tension, she sat down and directed her gaze to the older woman. "However, I am more than grateful for all that you have done for me."

Despite himself, Luke was impressed with the red-haired queen's ability to shift gears. Smiling, he replied, "You're welcome."

Picking up his cue, Mara continued in a conciliatory tone. "I guess that we are concerned about your change of mind regarding our funding."

Answering carefully, "I received a call from Chief Organa-Solo this afternoon." It was not _strictly_ true, of course, but Leia had told Jacen to tell her, so it _was_ true that she had heard from Leia…indirectly. Inwardly, Tenel Ka smiled at the shock that both Skywalkers were trying hard to hide. "She expressed her displeasure that neither of you told the Council that I was helping to fund the Order. In fact, she asked me point-blank to cease my funding, effective at the end of next month." Mara shot Luke a concerned look. Clearly, they had not expected Leia to talk to the Queen Mother. Tenel Ka continued, "Additionally, we feel the money would be better spent in other areas." She paused, mentally kicking herself for the 'we'. "There are still _billions_ of beings without homes. Hapes needs to do better."

"We?" Mara asked.

Tenel Ka cringed; Mara had caught the verbal slip. Sighing, she answered. "Jacen and I had a conversation about refugee housing a few weeks ago."

Luke sat next to his wife and leaned forward, staring intently at the Queen Mother with his piercingly blue eyes. Calmly, he stated, "That just proves my point. Jacen is using your good intentions to cover his real goal. The destruction of the Jedi Order." He continued to stare at the young queen as her eyes widened in shock. "Where do your loyalties lay, Tenel Ka?"

The queen quickly recovered from her shock at being asked such a question. "My loyalties lie with _my_ people and my daughter." She leaned back in the chair, clearly dismissing his accusations, "And _you_ are chasing shadows. I grow tired of your baseless attacks on my friend."

Luke had enough of her evasiveness. He was _not_ some Hapan government flunky that she could dismiss at her whim. Standing, he shot back, "Your lover, you mean?" He knew that the timeline about Jacen being Allana's father didn't work; but he also knew that Tenel Ka wouldn't sleep with just anyone, not for the purpose of having a daughter. Nothing else could explain the queen's loyalty to her 'friend'.

Outraged, Tenel Ka started to stand, "How dare…"

Frustrated with politics, himself, and the Queen Mother, Luke 'Forced' the red-haired queen back into the chair, forever altering his relationship with the Hapan Crown. "SIT. DOWN, Tenel Ka."

Her grey eyes narrowed in rage and was only vaguely aware that Mara had called warningly to her husband, "Luke…"

_Nobody_ manhandled the Queen Mother. Not even Jacen, at the height of his arrogance, treated her this way. As her former master kept her pinned to the chair, Tenel Ka lashed out with the Force. A crystal picture frame flew off of her desk and came whistling at the back of Luke's head. Sensing the threat, Master Skywalker turned, igniting his lightsaber and neatly sliced the frame in half. As he did, Tenel Ka used a Force shove, hitting Luke in the back of the knees. His concentration wavered, and his hold on the Queen slackened. Tenel Ka shot to her feet, aware that Mara was doing so as well. Both women reached for their lightsabers, but Tenel Ka proved to be the quicker draw. As another _snap-hiss_ echoed through the Throne Room, Tenel Ka hit Luke with another shove, this time aimed for his shoulders. Already off-balance, Luke collapsed to the floor, his lightsaber skittering across the parquet floor. Behind him the Queen held her 'saber at Mara's throat. Through their meld, she could feel Jacen's worry. She tried to tell him that she was unharmed, but she could feel him sprinting to her aid. _Slow down. Come; but be careful. _She could feel his doubt, but she had convinced him not to ruin their secret. The whole affair was over in just three seconds; three seconds that would alter the future of the Jedi Order.

Hearing the distinctive sound of two lightsabers being lit, three guards burst into the room, all of them arriving in time to see Luke Skywalker thrown to the floor. _Three?_ Tenel Ka nodded fractionally to Captain Pärson; she should've known that the Army captain would not leave the job of protecting the Queen Mother to others. With the Force, she sent Luke's lightsaber towards Captain Pärson, who deftly caught it.

For a few moments, only the heavy breathing of all six of the room's inhabitants and the hum of a turquoise lightsaber could be heard. Acutely aware of the lightsaber wavering at her throat, Mara tried her best to soothe an irate Queen. "Tenel Ka…"

Glaring at the green-eyed Jedi Master, she shouted: "GET OUT."

Letting his hands be clearly visible, Luke tried to get to his feet, but stopped when he felt the lieutenant put his assault rifle against Luke's neck. From his knees, he turned his head to look at Tenel Ka. "Queen Mother forgive…"

As she continued to glare at Mara, the Queen used her iciest tone. "I said: Get. Out." She paused, trying to calm herself, "You are both hereby banned from Hapan space. If you are not off of this planet in thirty minutes, I will have you arrested." She caught the of eye of the young lieutenant, "You and Corporal Ruud," she nodded her head at the corporal behind her who had her weapon trained on Mara Jade-Skywalker, "will escort Masters Skywalker to their ship. Remain at the spaceport until they depart." The lieutenant nodded.

The tension in the room was almost overbearing. "Corporal? Disarm Master Jade, if you please." Corporal Ruud nodded and took the unlit lightsaber from the auburn-haired Jedi. "Hand it to the Captain." As the corporal moved around the Queen Mother to hand over the weapon, Tenel Ka continued to glare at her one-time mentor, "I will have your lightsabers sent to the Jedi Temple via a courier. You now have thirty minutes to leave Hapes." Mara gave the queen a small nod as Tenel Ka backed up a step to allow the older woman room to move. "Lieutenant, call me as soon as they are airborne." Again, he nodded as he removed his weapon from Skywalker's neck.

In silence, both Jedi Masters proceeded to the door. Mara stopped and looked at her friend, "It wasn't supposed to go this way," she said sadly. Tenel Ka only gave her a nod as she left the room, her two guards trailing the pair out of the room.

Her eyes fixed on the departing party, the queen called out to the head of the night watch, "Captain Pärson?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?" The captain emphasized her title for the benefit of the departing Masters.

"Call Fighter Command and have them launch the Alert fighters. I want the _Jade Shadow_ under escort until it jumps into hyperspace."

"Yes, Your Majesty." As the captain left her office to make the call from Anhaje's office, Tenel Ka finally deactivated her lightsaber.

Placing her infamous rancor tooth back into the pocket of her robe, Tenel Ka padded over to the windows behind her desk. Once there, she stood and peered out over the gardens taking several deep breaths as she tried desperately to stop the tears from coming.

Her call to the Fighter Command operations desk completed, Captain Pärson re-entered the Throne Room and stopped. Her boss was standing against the window, clearly distraught and Anja Pärson was torn: on one hand, she should leave the Queen Mother alone with her thoughts; Colonel Solo was probably on his way, and he would offer the proper comfort. On the other hand, Tenel Ka Djo had become a _friend_ to all that protected her and she would never let one of her troops remain alone in such anguish. Her mind made up, she called quietly, "Your Majesty?" Seeing no acknowledgement, Anja slowly walked towards her boss, calling again as she did, "Queen Mother?" Again, there was no reply. Now within arms reach, the captain tentatively reached out and put her hand on the Queen Mother's shoulder, acutely aware that touching her without her permission was a treasonable offense. Whispering, "Tenel Ka?"

The queen turned slightly at the contact, her eyes red with restrained tears. "Are you alright?" Anja asked.

Tenel Ka shook her head. "He was my teacher; she: my mentor. They taught me how to be a Jedi, and I drew my weapon on them." Her bottom lip was trembling.

Anja Pärson studied her boss, her friend, as she tried to find the right words. Shaking her head, "They insulted _you_." Gesturing around the office, "Not the office of the Queen, but…you." She paused, gently wiping her friend's eyes with her thumb. "All of it: their disregard of Hapan Air Traffic regulations, their coming here at 0300, their insults of your…our…friend," this garnered a hint of a smile from Tenel Ka. Jacen's efforts to get the Palace staff to like him seemed to be working. "All of it is an insult to you as a person." She smiled, "_I_ would have had them arrested on the spot."

Her red-haired boss was about to reply when Jacen came running into the room. "Tenel…" he stopped, not wanting to intrude; this was not really his affair. He was only supposed to be a good friend. All of that changed the second Tenel Ka saw him. Practically sprinting at him, she threw herself into his arms and Jacen had a flashback to Cloud City as he embraced his love. Once safely ensconced, she finally allowed the tears to come as she buried her face into his neck.

Anja quietly headed for the door to the apartment. As she reached the stairs, she took a quick look back to check on her boss, and saw Jacen mouth a 'Thank you' as he placed his head against the Queen Mother's, content to let her sob into his shoulder. Captain Pärson nodded and headed up the stairs.

O O(_)O O

Neither one of them said a word as Mara performed an accelerated preflight to get them out of Hapan space in the required time. After they had cleared the atmosphere, Luke was the first to break their silence. "Mara…"

Mara glared at her husband in the reflection off the cockpit windscreen. "Not. Another. Word. Farmboy." She looked down to check her course. Looking over at him this time, "Your arrogance cost more than a few credits. We will have lost the respect of an _entire_ generation of Jedi with your heavy-handed actions." He looked at her quizzically; he doubted that Tenel Ka had much contact with many of the Jedi. Mara saw his look and answered, "They are going to find out because _I _am going to tell them. So, sit down and shut up."

Luke nodded. He had handled this badly. Corran, Mara, Saba; they were all correct. He had turned this into a power play and had been burned. Did he really think that he could 'maneuver' the Queen Mother? She had been schooled in politics from the time she could talk, and he expected to just waltz in and get his way? As he lowered his head, he asked quietly, "Where are we headed?" He really had no desire to go back to the Temple just yet.

Mara replied icily, "Dagobah." Luke jerked his head up. "Since that seems to be your locale of choice for those who screw up; you and I are going to spend some time with the snakes on Dagobah."

O O(_)O O

After Captain Pärson left, Jacen contented himself with stroking Tenel Ka's shoulder-length red hair as she regained control of her emotions. Without looking up, she explained, "They forced me to choose: you or the Order."

Jacen grimaced as he nodded. "I know." He had hoped that Masters Skywalker would not put his best friend in such an awkward predicament. Apparently they were more upset than he had thought them to be.

The red-haired queen took a step back, "What _are_ you doing on Coruscant?" She demanded. "Why don't they trust you? Whose side _are_ you on?"

Jacen's eyes narrowed as he felt his ire rise. The galaxy was threatening to tear itself apart, and she wanted to know which _side_ he was on? There were no _sides_ in this; this was going to turn into a huge mêlée; was he the only one that could see the coming disaster? He opened his mouth to retort; he was going to rant about being on the side of peace when he saw the raw emotion in her eyes and closed his mouth. He could see, and feel, her anger. She was livid at what Luke had said and done, she was frustrated that she had allowed Jacen to use her money as leverage to change the Jedi's ways, but he also saw something else: underneath it all, he could feel her loneliness. His best friend was tired of needing to be strong _all_ of the time; she wanted reassurance that _someone_ was in her corner. A snippet from his earlier conversation with Danni rang in his head: _I'll do better_. Jacen's ire disappeared as he took her hand. "Yours," he offered softly, hoping that she would see his words for what they were: unconditional trust. "I've _always_ been on your side."

Tenel Ka stood stunned for a second. She had been expecting empty platitudes, or over-the-top promises. Instead, he gave her naked honesty; through their link she could feel the truth in what he had said. To be fair, he had had a lousy way of showing it recently, but he always backed her up. She wanted nothing more than to return to his embrace. But first…her hand moved with lightning speed, catching him across the left cheek: the CRACK resonating through the Throne Room. Harshly, she yelled, "Than act like it. You have become distant from me."

Jacen cringed at the slap, but otherwise displayed no reaction. He replied in a calm voice, irritating her further. "True," he agreed. "And you've been keeping me at arm's reach ever since the attack on Allana."

She glared at him for a second, but it did not have much anger behind it. Dropping her gaze, she realized that he was right. She _had_ been maintaining a 'safe' distance from him-she only accepted every third offer he made to visit Hapes, and she could not remember the last time she had called him. It occurred to Tenel Ka that she would be appalled if she were to learn that Allana was treating a friend in this manner; yet she herself had been treating the only man she had ever loved horribly. "You are right. I have been." She looked back up into his face, and poured her love for him into their bond. "I am sorry."

Jacen smiled warmly as he kissed her hand. "Me too." Still holding her hand, he dragged her over to the loveseat and started to explain his actions on Coruscant. "Corellians were being attacked, threatened, even killed." He took a deep breath as he watched her sit next to him. "Coruscanti PD seemed unable to stop the violence, and I felt the need to do _something_." Shaking his head sadly, "Nobody else seemed to have any other ideas, and we needed to be able to keep the Corellians from harm."

As Tenel Ka snuggled against his right side, she shot him a knowing look, "I told Master Skywalker the same thing. I told him, 'either offer a different solution, or shut up.'"

Jacen raised an eyebrow at her, honored that she had stuck up for him when it was evident that she did not really agree with his methods. As they looked at the reflection of themselves in one of the big windows behind her desk, she asked him quietly, "Do you regret doing it?"

Jacen started absently running his hands through her hair, "No." He felt her wince. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and it has stopped most of the violence against the Corellians." He paused slightly. "I do regret that it has lasted this long. I wish that I hadn't kept talking myself out of lifting the ban." She raised her head off his shoulder and looked at him quizzically. She had forgotten about the Jacen that wrestled constantly with doing the right thing, and she found that she had missed him. What most saw as indecisiveness, she saw as dedication to getting it right. He saw her quizzical look and grimaced. "No, what I regret most is agreeing to head up the GAG."

She said nothing in reply and put her head back on his shoulder. After a long while, Tenel Ka finally checked her chrono and winced. Standing, "We should go back to bed, it is after 4:00." Jacen nodded and started to follow her down the narrow passageway to the apartment.

Halfway down the passage, Jacen joked, "Her dress wasn't _that_ scandalous, you know." Referring to the blue sequin dress that Gorah Dibbon had worn to the fundraiser two weeks prior. The fundraiser that apparently caused the Queen Mother quite a bit of anguish.

Tenel Ka stopped abruptly; she had forgotten that their link had been open for the entire evening. Turning to look at Jacen, her eyes searching his, she asked quietly, "Why did you not tell me how you felt about my formal events?"

Taking her hand, "You are required to go to these events, and I knew you would come to resent my petty jealousies." He smiled, "Besides, when I was explaining to a friend the reason that I take a date to those things is so that the press will pay attention to her rather than me, it dawned on me that you were probably doing the same thing."

The Queen Mother reflected that she still had much to learn from Jacen Solo. Leaning forward, she gave him a long kiss. "Thank you, Jacen." He said nothing and smiled, watching as she turned and lead the way down the hallway. "So, tell me about this date with Ms. Gibbon."

He chuckled as he followed her. "Oddly, her publicist called me…"

O O(_)O O

After the _Jade Sabre_ completed its jump into hyperspace, Luke got up and headed aft. "I'll be meditating. Wake me if you need anything." Mara only nodded as she watched him leave.

When the cockpit door closed, Mara hit the armrest of her seat in frustration. Luke had clearly bitten off more than he could chew, and he had gone against the advise of the remaining Masters. His friends had told him to leave this be, that Tenel Ka was not someone to try to strong arm. Luke had forced Tenel Ka's hand; forced her to choose between the Jedi Order and her best friend. The strange thing was that Mara was not even disappointed with the Queen Mother's decision. If someone would have given her the same ultimatum: Luke or the Order, Mara would not have given the Order a second thought. Why Luke thought that Tenel Ka would be any different was beyond her comprehension. Sighing, she got up and took the three steps to the comm suite and tried to contact the Temple.

Unsurprisingly, Corran Horn answered the call. "Afternoon, Mara." He greeted, unconsciously giving her an idea of the time on Coruscant. Seeing her resigned look, he asked warily, "It went badly?"

Mara looked down at the desk as she ran both hands through her hair and let out a deep breath. Looking back at Corran, she explained. "He _Forced_ her into a chair." Corran's jaw dropped as she continued, "He pursued the 'us or him' tactic that we warned him not to, and _then_ he got personal. He accused her of sleeping with Jacen."

Corran let a confused look cross his face. "Which they probably…"

Mara held up her hand, stopping his comment as she growled, "Tenel Ka is the _Queen Mother_; one does NOT accuse the Queen Mother of indiscretions." Hanging her head, she continued, "And so what if they are: they are both thirty." She stood up and started to pace, clearly agitated. "He _Forced _her into a chair, Corran. Our biggest ally, and he treated her like she was still fourteen." She stopped pacing and again ran her hands through her hair.

Corran waited for his friend to calm down and sit before he asked, "What's the plan now?"

"You have the wheel for now. WE are going to head to Dagobah to dwell on this." Corran gave her a nod of understanding. "I'd like you to tell _everyone_ at the Temple what Luke did this evening. I want _all_ to know that even Luke Skywalker loses his temper."

Again, Corran nodded and smiled sagely, "Sometimes being humiliated is the best way to learn."

Mara finally allowed a small smile. Trust Corran to be able to defuse tensions. "Oh, one more thing. Try to get in touch with Leia; we need her back."

The former CorSec officer only grinned, "Already done. I'm having lunch with her and Han tomorrow."

Mara smiled at that; only a Corellian could be so conniving. Winking at her friend, "Thanks Corran."

Corran Horn only smiled as he disconnected the call.

* * *

O O(_)O O

A/N: A special thanks again to Onimi, Boris, and Sabre! You guys are the best. Kudos to all who have continued to read my little Jacen/Tenel Ka story. I promise I don't bite-please leave a review!

Yes, Gorah is based on my celebrity crush. No, I'm not going to tell you who it is.


	18. Chapter 18--Ghosts that Haunt Us

**Chapter 18—Ghosts of the Past**

Still thirty-four days prior to Myrkr...

* * *

Isolder awoke at 0645, he had the weekly Defence Forces Status briefing to attend, and he needed time to wake Allana and fix breakfast for the two of them. Walking into 'Allana's' bedroom, he noticed the empty bed. Frowning, he turned back into the hallway, calling out, "Allana?" Hearing her reply come from direction of the study, he made his way down to the room where he saw his granddaughter staring intently at one of the holos of her mother hanging on the wall. Kindly, he asked, "What are you looking at 'Lana?"

Not taking her eyes off of the holo, she shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Mommy." Finally, she turned to look at her grandfather, "Papa, how old is this picture?"

Standing next to the red-haired girl, he took her hand and smiled at the holo Allana had been analyzing; it was the one that Leia had sent it to him years ago, and quickly became his favorite picture of Tenel Ka. It was taken on an apparently warm day, judging from the summer apparel of the two subjects, on a lakeshore whose locale he had long forgotten. Jacen was sitting in profile, his back against a rock while Tenel Ka was leaning against a different rock and sitting perpendicularly to Jacen, her long legs draped across his with both of her feet sitting in the water. One of Jacen's arms was captured in mid-gesture; whatever they had been discussing was causing the young man to become quite animated. But it was the look on his daughter's face that was the reason this holo was his favorite. She was smiling at Jacen, and the sparkle in her eyes was unmistakable.

More than anything else, her smile was proof to Isolder that his daughter had rejected what her grandmother and, to a lesser extent, her mother tried to teach her. They both taught that there was no need for love, that sex was impersonal. He tried to teach his daughter that it was okay to love. He told her that sex was better when you truly liked, and respected the other person. This holo told him that Tenel Ka preferred his views on the matter.

Shaking his head from his reverie, Isolder answered Allana's question. "Wow. Your mother is sixteen, maybe seventeen in this picture, so that means it is…" He paused, doing the math. "…thirteen, fourteen years old."

Allana's mouth dropped. "Wow, she's known Jedi Jacen a long time." Isolder chuckled as she paused, pursing her lips. "Did she always love Jedi Jacen?"

Isolder looked at her quizzically, "What makes you think that she does?"

Allana only scowled at her grandfather, "Because she only smiles like that for Jedi Jacen. Her eyes used to sparkle like that when he visited," her tone turned somber, "but not lately."

The Crown Prince sighed sadly; Allana had noticed the growing gulf as well. "No, not lately." He paused, trying to find a way to answer her question. "I suspect that she has loved Jacen for a long time."

"Does he love Mommy?"

Thinking back to last night's conversation, Isolder smiled at Allana. "Yes. He loves her very much."

At this, Allana nodded, apparently satisfied with the outcome of their conversation. "Good. That means that Jacen is my daddy."

Isolder coughed, trying to hide his shock at her coming to this conclusion. "What?"

Even at five, Allana noticed that her grandfather didn't deny it. She smiled knowingly at Isolder, "Because when two people love each other, they have a baby. That's me." Her grey-ish eyes bored into his light blue ones. "Ms. Danni told me that Mommy has always liked brown eyes better, and Jacen is the only man Mommy talks to who has brown eyes. That means: he is my daddy."

Prince Isolder, the acting Crown Prince of the Hapes Consortium and the civilian head of the third-largest Navy in the galaxy, was knocked speechless, defeated soundly in a debate by an astute five-year-old. Not knowing what else to say, and not wanting to lie to his granddaughter, he asked, "What does the Force tell you?" He knew that his daughter was teaching Allana how to use the Force to get a feel for the truth in an argument and he hoped that she could apply the skill here.

The red-haired girl closed her eyes, and started to chew her bottom lip in concentration. After about ten seconds, she opened her eyes. "I sense no lies in my statement."

Isolder could only laugh at her mannerisms, Teneniel would be proud of her granddaughter's declaration. Scooping her up and giving her a big hug, he chuckled and tried his best Yoda impersonation, "Your father he is." Allana only rolled her eyes at the attempt. As he kissed her forehead, he asked, "Let's keep our secret for now, okay?" Seeing her confused look, "That way, you can surprise Jedi Jacen on his life-day by calling him, 'Daddy'. You'll only have to wait a month or so, okay?"

"Okay!" She gave Isolder another big hug as he carried her out of the apartment. "Thank you Papa."

He kissed her head again. "That's what I'm here for."

O O(_)O O

As the weekly defence meeting was breaking up, Tenel Ka noticed that her father loitering behind in her office, and scowled as she did so; usually, if he had anything to discuss, he would simply meet her on her patio and wait for her to finish talking 'offline' with the other service chiefs that wanted to catch her ear. After she had finished her conversation with her head of Fighter Command about where to base the new fighter-bomber that was only now starting to be flight-tested, she walked over to her sitting area, where Isolder was camped out on the loveseat.

As she leaned on the back of one of the wingback chairs, her father leaned forward, an earnest look on his face. "Your Majesty, there are two things we need to discuss." he started simply. Now Tenel Ka was worried; her father never called her that when they were alone. "Firstly, why am I still in this office?"

Tenel Ka looked at him confusedly, "You are free to go. I assumed…"

Her father laughed, shaking his head. "Good one." Tenel Ka was rapidly becoming more confused; she had not told a joke. "No, why am I still part of the military chain of command?"

His statement didn't really clarify anything; she still didn't know what he was getting at. "Father, it is a Constitutional requirement. We can remove the stipulation that it be the Prince…"

"No." Pointing his finger at her, Isolder glared at her as only a father can. "Stop being coy. Why am I still holding this position?" He paused slightly, seeing the comprehension finally dawn on her face. He continued as he pointed in the general direction of her residence, "Right now, in your apartment, is a man who loves you very much and deserves to be Prince Consort. Why is he not?"

Tenel Ka lowered her head and rested it on her forearm for a moment. Finally, she looked up, "It is…complicated."

Isolder raised one eyebrow. "I married a Dathomiri witch. I doubt that it gets much more complicated than that."

"And look what happened to her," she retorted angrily. "This place killed her. I will not do that to Jacen."

"We both know that it was not the job that killed your mother." Her father snapped back-they both knew who was behind Teneniel's death. He paused, trying to calm himself down. "Surely you noticed it. The day my mother died? That was the same day that Hapes started improving."

O O(_)O O

Five years previous…

After a cursory search by an apologetic Royal guardsman—centuries of Royal protocol dictated that the Queen Mother be searched for weapons when in the same room as her predecessor-Tenel Ka was finally allowed to join her father in her grandmother's hospital room, the Crown Prince saying nothing as she stood next to him. In an eerie sense of déjà vu, her father put his arm around his daughter squeezing her to him as she placed her head on his shoulder; it was in this same hospital room that seven years earlier the two of them stood side-by-side looking down at a very ill Teneniel Djo. In that instance, the two of them were almost overcome by grief; this time, the best the two of them could do was grim acceptance.

Still looking at Ta'a Chume as she lie unresponsive on her bed, Tenel Ka tried to sound remorseful, "The doctor's said she might not recover."

Isolder nodded sadly, "Strokes like the one she had are tough to come back from." Her father's tone sounded a little more down than hers, it was his mother, after all; but she remembering him sounding more depressed when they had to flush her ghost-fish away all those years ago. Standing up straight, he removed his arm from around his daughter, "At least she was able to throw one last party for her great-granddaughter."

Tenel Ka nodded once; anyone listening would assume that Isolder was referring to the small party held in celebration of Allana's birth not too long ago—only the two of them would know that he was really referring to the Gorog's attack on Allana. Smiling sadly in reply, Tenel Ka replied, "Yes, she did."

Tenel Ka's spies might not be as prevalent in the Palace as her grandmother's, but she was a Jedi and Jacen's leaving Hapes shortly before Ta'a Chume was discovered in that mud bath was proof enough that he learned something and had done something about it. The young Queen supposed that she should be horrified that her best friend would do this to her grandmother, but could not really summon the necessary rage. Allana was far safer now, and for that, she was grateful.

Isolder said nothing as he took his daughter's hand, and the two of them stood by the old woman's bedside for a while more, both contemplating how it had come to this.

After several minutes, Tenel Ka gave her father's hand an affectionate squeeze before releasing it; "I'll leave you two alone for a while." Her father nodded once and she could feel his overwhelming loneliness; except for her, everyone else in his immediate family was either dead or comatose. "Would you like me to join you for dinner?" Again, he simply nodded. Kissing his cheek, she quietly continued, "I will return in a few hours."

Not until she had made it back to her own bedroom did she slip the small, empty vial he had passed her from her sleeve to take a look at what it used to contain: succinylcholine. Staring at the empty vial for a long second, she peeled off the small label, placed the vial on the tile floor of her bathroom, stomped on it with heel of her boot, swept the glass into her trashcan and burned the label in the flame of one her aroma candles.

Early the next morning, her father called from the hospital to inform her that Ta'a Chume had died of cardiac arrest, but that the doctors said it was doubtful that she felt any pain.

O O(_)O O

Tenel Ka saw the sadness in her father's face; he suddenly looked…old. As he focused his eyes back on his daughter, she could see the pain and guilt etched in his eyes. "A child should never say this of his mother, but I am relieved that she is dead." He stopped for a moment, clearly still haunted by a woman who had been dead for almost five years. Isolder looked at his daughter again, "What are you afraid of?"

Tenel Ka straightened and gave her father the iciest stare she could muster. I am afraid of nothing. She wanted to say it, she really did. But, she could not. Instead, she looked down and whispered, "I am afraid he will leave me again."

Isolder nodded in understanding. Rising from the loveseat, he walked over and took her hand, "Did it ever occur to you that he left because you did not ask him to stay?"

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yes." she whispered.

Her father placed his hand on her chin and forced her to look at him in the eye. "Do you love him?"

Tenel Ka's grey eyes scrunched together, "Of course." She paused slightly, "But the Ruling…."

Prince Isolder dropped her hand and threw his arms up in disgust. As he paced angrily around her office, he started to rant. "I don't give a damn what the Council thinks. Jacen left the GAG…" he stopped and gave his daughter a withering look, "…for you. I know it," he started gesturing wildly, "Gadell knows it, Anhaje knows it…even Leia knows it." He pointed at her chest, "Why don't you know it?" He paused, letting that sink in. "You know that the remaining nobles on the Ruling Council would not dare oppose Jacen Solo as your Consort; you are not in the same position as you were ten years ago." Isolder pointed out the window, "This time you have the public on your side. They know how lonely you've been for the last ten years. They all believe that you deserve a little happiness." With this comment, Tenel Ka at last learned who had been leaking small tidbits about Jacen's visits to the press.

Isolder started to yell, and Tenel Ka could not remember the last time he had yelled at her. "What more do you want? Jacen is practically screaming at you: 'I've given everything up…for you. Please make me your Prince.'" Isolder stopped directly in front of her, fire in his eyes. Only her iron will was keeping her from recoiling at the look of disgust on her father's face. "Stop. Stop treating him this way." He started punching his palm with his other fist. "Stop. Being. Jaina."

The Queen Mother reacted as if she'd been punched in the solar plexus, all of the air rushing out of her lungs. Between the meeting with Luke and Mara last night and her father yelling at her today, her self-esteem had taken a severe beating. Her bottom lip was trembling as she fought desperately to control her emotions. As she continued to look at her father, she admitted quietly, "I do not know why he stays."

Isolder pulled her into a warm embrace and felt her put her head on his shoulder, "Jacen stays because he loves you. Don't make him wait much longer."

Nodding, she released him from their embrace and backed up a step. "What is topic two?"

Isolder gave a snort as he marveled at her ability to shift gears so quickly. "Mister Solo and I discussed a plan to get out of this mess with the Corellians." Seeing her quizzical look, he proceeded to tell her about the discussion he had with Jacen earlier that morning.

After he had finished, she backed up and leaned against her desk, analyzing the plan, looking for any obvious flaws. Still lost in thought, she asked, "Do you think Pellaeon will back the idea?"

Her father nodded as he sat on the arm of the couch. "I do. Pellaeon is an admirable man and I do not think that he will pass up an idea that could save many lives." He paused, rubbing his chin; "I also think that Solo will be able to get tacit approval from Omas. Cal is too pragmatic to let this opportunity slip away."

She nodded absently, still contemplating the plan. "Was this truly his idea, or are you just selling it as such, knowing I'd be more likely to go along with it?"

There were times, like right now, when his daughter acted an awfully lot like her mother. A fresh wave of loneliness washed over him as he looked over at his daughter. To be fair, Teneniel was not the most affectionate of women, and he did not want to think about how many times she used his current apartment, but he still missed her dearly. She would be proud of the Queen that Tenel Ka had become. Staring out the window, lost in his reverie, he answered truthfully, "I have had thoughts along a similar line." Isolder looked his daughter earnestly, "But Jacen did most of the talking last night after I asked a rather pointed question." He shrugged at his admission. "My only contribution was the idea for more local control of the Navy." He stood and stepped closer, getting her attention. With an amused tone he explained further, "You should have seen him. He was pacing back and forth in my dining room; clearly excited to be talking policy."

Tenel Ka smirked at the mental image. She remembered how excited Jacen got when he was truly wrapped up in a topic, at how he always seemed to think better when moving around. The Queen shook her head as her father continued in a serious tone. "He has given this a lot of thought. He seems to know where the Corellian's are weakest politically, and he is trying to use that to get them to realize that this secession plan of theirs is pure folly." Isolder smiled slightly and his tone became contemplative, "His mother would be proud of him. I'm proud of him." There was nobody, Tenel Ka knew, that her father held in higher esteem then Leia Organa Solo. For him to say that Jacen's plan would impress Leia, and that he himself was impressed, was rare praise indeed.

Tenel Ka bit her lip as she continued to mull over the plan. She glanced at her father out of the corner of her eyes, "What do you think our chances of success are?"

Isolder fixed a proud gaze on his daughter, sensing her inner conflict: she desperately wanted to okay this plan, as it would give her the chance to boast to all the idiot nobles how Jacen Solo had once again saved the galaxy. However, she would not send her diplomats out on a fool's errand. With a half-shrug, he answered, "Sixty, sixty-five percent. It really depends on the amount of pressure their Parliament can put on Gejjen to accept a deal."

After a moment, she turned to her father, her mind made up. "We, Pellaeon and I, will look like idiots if these talks fail."

He shook his head as he stood up straight. "I disagree. If we stick to reasonable demands, we can state to the rest of the galaxy that Gejjen is NOT interested in peace, he is only interested in rabble-rousing and war-mongering."

Her gaze turned cold, "If these plans fail, Jacen is NOT to be blamed."

The older man chuckled at his daughter's protectiveness. "No. If they go south, I will take ownership of the plan."

At that, Tenel Ka smiled at her father and nodded her assent. "What time is your conference call with Admiral Pellaeon?" She knew her father well enough to know that he had already put this plan in motion; he was merely using her as a sounding board to make sure that they had most of the bugs worked out.

Isolder smiled, "One o'clock."

The red-haired queen nodded again and walked around the desk to pick up her comlink. "I will have Minister Xana'a here at two to get External Affairs in on the details."

Isolder bowed formally and made his way to the door, "As you wish, your highness."

Tenel Ka only shook her head as she made picked up her comlink to call the Foreign Minister.

O O(_)O O

"You will have to start the discussions. Admiral Pellaeon is not particularly fond of me at the moment." Jacen mentioned off-handedly as he and Isolder entered the Prince's office later that afternoon.

Giving the younger man a knowing look, he commented wryly; "So I've heard." His voice hardened, "For the record, you were starting to act like your grandfather."

Jacen sighed sadly as he stood out of the range of the video pick-up for the holoprojector. "I know."

Suddenly, the holo-image of Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon sitting in a wingback chair flickered into reality. "Prince Isolder, greetings!" The stately head of the Imperial Remnant, dressed in his resplendent white admiral's uniform, smiled warmly at Isolder.

Isolder returned the smile, bowing slightly. "And to you Gilad."

"Thank you. Before we begin, I've heard that the Consortium is interested in joining our fleet exercises with the Chiss." Isolder merely nodded, and the Admiral continued, "We would be delighted to have you join us. Our ground forces will also be holding joint exercises, with one being held next summer. Would you be interested in joining those as well?"

Isolder smiled, "Most assuredly. I will have our Army Chief contact yours." He replied, scribbling a note to himself.

The older man nodded. "Excellent." He eyed Isolder appraisingly, "So what sort of negotiations do you have in mind with the Corellians?"

"For that, I will bring in one of my daughter's friends. Most of this is his idea." Jacen noticed that Isolder did not mention that he had to ask a very loaded question to get the idea out of the young man.

Pellaeon scowled, "Why would a Jedi need Imperial help?"

The blonde prince glanced at Jacen and shook his head, chuckling, "I am not entirely sure that he still is a Jedi." With that, Isolder activated Jacen's holo-transmitter.

After the transmitter's status indicator turned green, Jacen stepped into the range of the camera and bowed respectively towards the Imperial head-of-state. "Admiral Pellaeon."

For a moment, Jacen thought that the Admiral was going to terminate their connection. Instead, still glaring at the young man, he icily returned the formalities. "Colonel Solo." He emphasized Jacen's title, clearly making it known that he did not think it a rank that had been earned.

Prince Isolder jumped in to ensure that the conversation remained civil. "Gilad, please hear the young man out. You will find out in the next day or two that our young Mister Solo has had a change of heart." There was no mistaking Isolder's emphasis of the civilian title.

The white-haired gentlemen continued to glare at Jacen. "Really? Do tell."

Again, the Hapan answered, "I think not. You would be better served finding out from your sources."

The Grand Admiral shot Isolder a hardened look. "As you wish." He turned his glare back to Jacen. "Okay, Solo, what is this plan of yours?"

Jacen grimaced at the animosity coming from Bastion. He had always liked and respected the Grand Admiral, and it pained him to know how far he had fallen in Pellaeon's eyes. Mentally chiding himself, he laid out the plan in full detail.

The Imperial Navy man's glare softened as he digested the plan. "A solid plan." Stroking his mustache thoughtfully, he continued, "The GFFA has more clout, though. Why aren't you and Coruscant heading this instead of the Hapans and us?"

Jacen visibly slumped, "After my debacle at Centerpoint, there is no way that anyone on Corellia would talk to an Alliance representative, let alone myself."

Giving him an appraising look, Pellaeon asked. "So, what is in this for the Consortium and us? This will take some serious diplomatic skill."

Jacen smiled and glanced at the Prince, they had cleared the first hurdle: Gilad Pellaeon's distrust of Jacen Solo. Now it was a matter of selling the plan itself.

Isolder answered before Jacen could. "I believe that this is a chance for both of us to assert ourselves." He gave the older man a disarming smile, "We can prove that we are able to punch out of our weight class and broker a peace."

The graying Admiral chuckled at the pugilist analogy. "Well put." His face turned serious. "If it fails, we will look like fools."

Jacen jumped in before Isolder could reply, "No." Behind him, he heard the door to Isolder's office open and close. "If this goes badly, I will take the blame." He grimaced as he heard Tenel Ka's small gasp from behind him. "It gives both of you political cover: the Queen Mother can say that she went along because of her respect for a close friend." Through their link, Jacen could feel her disapproval of his argument. "You can maintain that you went along with my plan because of your high regard for my mother." Sighing, he continued, "Many see me as a border-line thug anyway, so it won't surprise anyone that I tried to strong-arm my friends."

On Bastion, Gilad Pellaeon was impressed despite himself. Maybe Jacen Solo was starting to live up to the high standards that his parents had set. Still, he had other questions. "And get the credit if this succeeds?"

"No." The younger man replied, shaking his head. "The Remnant and the Consortium have much more to gain if you share the credit for this." Jacen's tone saddened, "I helped end one war, and all it brought me was grief."

Standing at the back of the room, Tenel Ka could feel his pain through their link. Danni Quee's comment from earlier popped into her head: 'We both had been through so much, Jacen especially.' She sent as much understanding through their link as she could.

Pellaeon looked at the younger man with understanding. He knew, more than most, how unappreciated you could feel sometimes when doing what you thought was best. "Will Omas play along?"

Jacen merely shrugged, unsure how to answer. "I don't think that Omas is fool enough to turn off a deal that could save his career." Cocking his head to one side, "I've got a meeting scheduled with the Secretary of State and Admiral Niathal in two days to try to get their buy-in." Scowling, he added, "Niathal will be the harder sell. If I can get her, Omas will give us tacit approval."

Tenel Ka caught the amused 'I told you so' glance that her father sent her. Jacen was quite good at this. Trying to hide a smirk, she saw that the Admiral, too, was impressed with the young man.

Smiling slightly, Pellaeon replied, "I agree." He paused meaningfully, "Keep us advised."

Nodding, "I will. I'll probably call you separately, though. A conference call is just asking for an intercept."

"Indeed. Your Majesty, is a week enough time to get your team up to speed?"

Tenel Ka saw that Pellaeon was not looking at her father; he was looking in her general direction. She shook her head, amused, as she activated the holo-transceiver in front of her. Thinking quickly about what needed to be done to prep her negotiator, she nodded. "That would be sufficient."

Gilad smiled at her phraseology. "Very good. I'll have my person be on Hapes in one week's time, then." He gave Jacen a meaningful look, "Please make sure they are aware of the type of ship she'll be flying."

Jacen grinned, catching on to the identity of Pellaeon's chief negotiator. "I'll do that."

After closing the transmission, Isolder grimaced at the frustrated look that his daughter was aiming at Colonel Solo. Not wanting to get in the middle of whatever spat they were going to have, he quietly took his leave from his office.

Jacen sighed as he fiddled with the holoprojector, not even bothering to turn around. He did not need the Force to sense her displeasure as he could almost feel her glare boring into the back of his head. "You disapprove of my taking the blame if this doesn't work?"

Tenel Ka crossed her arm in front of her and shifted her weight to her right leg, as she waited for him to turn around. Seeing that he was not going to oblige any time soon, she angrily vented her frustration at his back. "I am not fifteen anymore, I do not need you to cover for me."

"I know." He turned and looked at her, guilt evident on his face. "You were right; I've been treating you shabbily. I cannot let you take the blame for this. You've done so much for Hapes, I do not want this to besmirch your record."

Tenel Ka's mood softened. Even though she did not need his political cover, she appreciated the offer. "Jacen, if I allow you to take the blame, it will look like I am letting Coruscant and the Jedi dictate our foreign policy. I cannot allow that." Her eyes sparkled when she saw his frown; he and her father had clearly not thought of that angle. It was good to know that she still could out-think her father occasionally when it came to politics.

As her words sank in, Jacen nodded in agreement. Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, he started to chuckle. "We still try to outdo each other when it comes to shouldering the blame, don't we?"

Just as she had done all those years ago, Tenel Ka laughed her melodious laugh. "So it would seem, Friend Jacen." Nodding at the door, she indicated that they should probably let her father have his office back. Leading Jacen out the door, her face turned serious. "Who is this person Pellaeon is sending, and why do I need to know what kind of ship she'll be flying?"

Snorting, Jacen shot the grey-eyed Queen an amused look as the two of them passed through Isolder's outer office, pleasantly surprised that it was still possible to sneak a few things by Hapan Intelligence. Giving the secretary a nod in greeting, he opened the outer door of Isolder's office allowing the Queen Mother to go first. Following her out, he answered her question in a gloating tone, "His negotiator got a hold of a Miy'til IIC assault-bomber and had it converted for her own personal use."

The shocked look on the Queen's face was priceless as she stopped dead in the hallway. Finally recovering, "That was a prototype built during my mother's modernization effort; we only made four." She started walking again, giving Jacen an amused glance, "We've never exported our military hardware. How did she get one of those?"

Jacen only waggled his eyebrows. "That is not my story to tell. You'll have to ask her when she arrives in a week's time."

* * *

A/N: Ta'a Chume is not mentioned again after book two of The Swarm War, so we have to assume that she died at some point. There are legions of fans that continue to deride Jacen Solo for giving her that stroke, and I don't understand why. She was a foul woman, she had killed her other son and daughter-in-law, poisoned the reigning Queen Mother, made constant threats against her granddaughter and hired the Gorog to kill her great-granddaughter, who was only a week or so old at the time. She represented a clear-and-present danger both to the Crown and to Hapes as a whole and only the truly naïve think otherwise. The same fans that seem to accept Mara going to great lengths to protect Ben do not, and will not, accept Jacen doing the same. Odd.


	19. Chapter 19--Cloak and Blade

**Chapter 19—Cloak and Blade**

Thirty-three days prior to Myrkr….

Corran had waited in the cantina for a full twenty minutes past the appointed time and had resigned himself that he had been stood up. It would seem that word had gotten to the Solos about what had transpired on Hapes. Shaking his head in exasperation, he gulped down the last of his ale as he tried to think of a way to salvage this situation. Mara was right: the Order needed Leia and Luke had just made it very difficult for Corran to find any common ground with them; her and Han were very fond of Tenel Ka and he could imagine that they were both irate about the way the GrandMaster of the Order treated their 'daughter-in-law'. Sighing, he ran his hand down his face; it was clear that he was going to have to wait for the Solos to calm down for a couple of days before he tried to talk to them again. Tossing a ten-credit coin onto the table, he stood to leave just as very determined Han Solo walked into the cantina. Wincing visibly, Corran sat back down; Leia's absence was a bad sign. Han's temper was legendary, and while he did not fear for his own safety, he really was not in the mood to get a verbal lashing for an act that he had been opposed to. No, the Corellian reflected, he was not going to be able to talk Leia into coming back to the Order today.

Staring menacingly at the Jedi Master, Han thudded himself into a chair across the table. His tone curt, Han growled at his friend, not bothering with any pleasantries, "You'll never guess who I just got off the comm with?"

Corran winced again, answering softly, "The Queen Mother."

"No-o-o." Han drawled out, motioning to the waitress that he would like a drink. "I talked to Jacen. I suppose if there is one good thing about this whole mess is that the two of them are finally admitting to themselves what the rest of us already know: they need each other." He paused as the young waitress had reached their table; after ordering Corellian ale, he told the woman to put it on Corran's tab. He looked over at Corran as she left, "So, I called Hapes about an hour ago to let Tenel Ka know what had happened at our last Council meeting; Leia wanted to let her know that we expected someone from the Council to pay her a visit." Han's face turned cold. "Imagine our surprise when the Queen Mother had to turn away to hide her tears."

Han did not think that he would ever forget the look of absolute misery on the young Queen's face as she bit her lip, clearly trying to keep the tears away. Nor would he soon forget the way her voice wavered as she tried to reply:

O O(_)O O

"Th-thank you Captain…" that was as far as she got before she turned away, her shoulders heaving with sobs.

Before he or Leia could ask what had gone wrong, they watched gob-smacked as their son sat next to the Queen Mother, putting his arm around her. "Hi, Dad. Mom." Jacen smirked slightly at the look of surprise on their faces. Drying her eyes, Tenel Ka turned back to the camera and placed her head on Jacen's shoulder, content to let him hold her as he proceeded to tell the story of what had happened the night prior in a dispassionate voice. Han had been impressed despite himself at the way his son did not lose his cool during the narrative; Jacen only stuck to what he knew to be the facts.

O O(_)O O

Han pointed accusingly at the Jedi Master across from him. "Do you have any idea how _hard_ it is to make Tenel Ka cry?" Corran hung his head as Han continued his rant; "I've known her since she was twelve, and not _once_ have I seen her shed a tear; not even when she lost half of her arm." Han banged on the table, causing Corran to jerk his head up in surprise and startled the other patrons at the cantina, all of who were looking at them trying to discern if what the trouble was. Han waited until the other customers returned their attention elsewhere before he hissed, "Tell your boss…" Han put extra emphasis on the last word, "…that if he _ever _threatens one of my kids again…" he paused, making sure that he had Corran's undivided attention, "…tell him that me, Cakhmaim, and Meewalh will come over to the Temple and kick his scrawny little Jedi butt."

Corran smirked despite the seriousness of Han's demeanor; Booster could probably charge a lot of money to people to see that battle happen. Hell, given his current feelings towards his 'boss', Corran would probably join Han in kicking some GrandMaster butt. His smirk disappeared as he focused his attention behind Han on a young couple having a small spat over in one of the far corners of the cantina as he tried to explain what had happened. Deciding that the couple's fight was not going to spin out of hand, Corran signaled the waitress before turning his attention back to his fellow Corellian. "I told him that this was not a good idea. Saba told him; Mara told him…we all made our opinions known that this was going to go badly and to leave the Queen Mother alone." He shook his head as focused on the empty beer glass in front of him, twirling it between his hands. "Jacen has gotten under his skin and he felt the need to make a stand."

"Against Tenel Ka?" Asked a new voice incredulously. Corran looked up and watched as Leia graciously sat next to her husband. "Luke's lucky that she didn't cut off his other hand."

Corran only nodded in reply. Looking at Han, "So you were just feeling me out?"

Han shrugged non-apologetically, "We wanted to know if this was something the Council approved of, or just Luke acting on his own. Since you let me rant for a while without getting too defensive, I figured that this was more Luke's doing than yours, so I felt it was time to call in the backup." Han finished, nodding at his wife. Just then the waitress reappeared and the three ordered another round of drinks and some appetizers.

Not knowing what else to say, Corran tried for some safe conversation filler. "How is Tenel Ka holding up?"

Leia smiled sadly, "She'll be fine; the Queen is made of pretty strong stuff. Han's right, though; if nothing else this should help bring her and Jacen closer."

Corran frowned at her comment. Leia had not been present when he and Han were talking about what had happened. _How did she…_ Han smirked as he casually flashed the comlink that he was palming in his left hand before he turned it off and placed it back in his pocket. Chuckling, Corran hung his head; one of the oldest tricks from his CorSec days, and he had forgotten about it. He could almost hear his father's disbelieving snort of laughter.

Leia's brown eyes twinkled as Corran caught on that she had been listening in on his entire conversation. "The oldest tricks still _are_ the best." She paused slightly, her tone growing more serious, "It'll probably be a long while before Luke and Mara are allowed back in Hapan space, however." Seeing Corran's confusion, she explained, "It seems that the Queen Mother has banished them from the Consortium."

Corran's eyes widened in shock; Mara had neglected to mention that little tidbit of information. Quickly hiding his reaction, he pondered that for a moment as their waitress brought over their food and drinks.

Munching on his onion ring, Han was the first to speak again. "Tell Luke that there is no way in hell that we are going to re-join the Council after this little stunt." It was odd, really; Han had the Force ability of Threepio, yet he had considered himself a member of the Jedi Council for the better part of fifteen years. Even more strange was that so did all of the other Council members.

The former CorSec officer nodded sympathetically, "I can understand that. However, Luke doesn't know that I am talking to you right now. It's Mara and I that want you to come back."

Leia raised an eyebrow. _Interesting. _"So you and Mara are going behind Luke's back to ask us to rejoin." Corran shrugged. "How very…Jacen of you."

A month ago, she would have said something like that in a very caustic tone; today, there was no mistaking the humor in her voice. The green-eyed Master could only shake his head, "It seems that I've learned something from watching Jacen deal with the Council trying to get the 'okay' for Jysella to get her sabbatical. He never seems to run out of angles to try." Corran narrowed his eyes and looked meaningfully at both of friends across the table. "I wonder which one of you he got _that_ from." Both Han and Leia pointed at each other, eliciting laughs from all of them. "Back to the topic at hand; will you rejoin the Council? Last night proved that for all of his strengths, Luke is not cut out for politics. Like it or not, we need a savvy political mind to aid our decision-making. The Jedi need you. _I _need you."

Leia was taken aback. For years, most of the Council scoffed at the necessities of consistent policy and political skill. She snorted humorlessly as she realized that it took a loss of a third of their funding to realize how important it was to maintain good relations with the Senate. Like many bodies, the Council believed in their own infallibility and now they were paying the price. Sadly, she shook her head-Corran Horn was a dear friend and it pained her to have to turn him down. "I'm sorry Corran, but the answer is 'no'. We are willing to work with the Jedi in an 'advisory' capacity, and we are willing to pitch in on a case-by-case basis, but we will no longer support the Order unconditionally. Luke has made one arbitrary decision too many." Leia smiled sadly, her voice contemplative, "We need to keep what we have left of our family together, and I still don't know how we are going to get Jaina and Jacen to reconcile."

Corran gave his friend an understanding nod; one of he and Mirax's biggest fears was that their kids would have the same sort of massive falling out that the Solo's kids had had. If it ever happened, he was not sure that he could put on the same brave face that Leia did.

O O(_)O O

Tahiri kicked off her boots and removed her grey service jacket as she flopped onto her hotel room's overlarge bed, wincing as she did; she had let herself get caught off-guard that afternoon, and had the bruise on her face to prove it. Disgustedly, she shook her head, as she still did not know what she was more upset with: Lecersen's bodyguard for throwing his sucker-punch, or herself for allowing it to connect. As she continued to look at the ceiling, she considered getting up to make an ice pack for her swollen right cheek but decided against it—the lump on her face will be an object lesson not to get caught off-guard again.

Just as she was about to nod off for a catnap, her portable secure-comm terminal pinged, indicating that she had an incoming call. Sighing a defeated sigh, she removed her necklace from under her white undershirt and stumbled over to the terminal, mumbling to it as it 'pinged' again. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Taking off her necklace, she inserted the attached comm key into the device and waited for the computer to unscramble the incoming call, sitting down in the desk chair as she waited.

It took a couple of seconds, but with a happy-sounding chime, the face of her boss appeared on the small screen. "Afternoon, Admiral." Tahiri answered casually, giving a small nod in the direction of the screen.

Grand Admiral Pellaeon smiled warmly at his 'Hand'. "Good after…" he stopped, seeing the still-getting-darker bruise on her right cheek and his tone turned cold. "What happened?"

Grimacing in disgust, she shook her head, "Lecersen's bodyguard caught me unawares and got in a sucker punch."

Gilad Pellaeon nodded, his eyes still cold; "Did you teach him what happens when one picks a fight with my 'Hand'? A 'Hand' that _happens_ to be a Jedi?"

Smiling humorlessly, "Nothing major, I just broke a couple of phalanges." Tahiri paused and her smile became sincere, "His bodyguard is actually a pretty cool guy. Turns out it was all just a…test." Seeing her boss's scowl, she explained further, "Apparently Lecersen had heard from other Moffs that we have been 'regressing' into a previous mindset and figured if I didn't kill his bodyguard out of hand…" Tahiri trailed off with a nonchalant shrug.

The Grand Admiral nodded knowingly, and continued her thought, "…if you didn't kill him, that meant we were _not_ Palpatine." Seeing Tahiri's nod, Gilad sighed, "Not the test _I _would have chosen; I would have tried something a bit less…confrontational." Shaking his head, his eyes regained their previous 'grandfatherly' look and his voice turned professional again, "How was the rest of your…visit?"

Tahiri rolled her eyes, "Once he realized that I wasn't going to execute him for being insubordinate, Lercesen was_ more_ than happy to talk about our new taxation plan." Seeing her boss's raised eyebrow, she chuckled and continued, "I wouldn't say he was _enthusiastic_, but even he admitted the need to eliminate most of our current loopholes."

"And…in exchange?" Pellaeon asked pointedly.

The blonde woman let out a long breath, hoping her boss would understand how long it took her to get Lercesen's concession, "An increase of three-quarters of a percent of this new tax revenue will stay with the sector governments."

The leader of the Imperial Remnant thought about this for a long moment; according to the estimates from his Budget Office, closing these loopholes would mean an increase of two-and-a-half percent in tax revenues. Even with the local governments getting Lercesen's increase of their share, Bastion would still be able to count on an additional one-and-three-quarters percent more in revenues than they currently have. Pellaeon nodded thoughtfully, this would mean a deferment of some of the public works projects he had in mind, but was pragmatic enough to know a good deal when he saw it. Smiling warmly at his 'Hand', "You've done well, Tahiri."

Tahiri perked slightly at the praise, it had taken her almost nine hours of hard negotiating to get this concession from the Moffs, and was worried it might all be for not if her boss decided to take a harder line. Still, there was something about his tone… "So-o-o…" she drawled out, "…what's the next job?"

To his credit, the Head of the Remnant had the decency to look chagrined, "Sorry. No rest for the weary, I'm afraid." The older man smiled at Tahiri's 'what-can-you-do' shrug, "Something's come down that's a bit out of your expertise, but we really need your…skills on this."

The blonde woman nodded in understanding. While it was pretty much an open secret in the Empire that the Grand Admiral's 'Hand' was a Jedi, neither she nor her boss thought it wise to advertise the fact. By now, Tahiri was pretty sure that the Jedi Council _knew_ that she was working for the Empire, but as long as she kept a low profile the Council would continue to ignore the rumors of a Force-user running loose in the Remnant. Sighing resignedly, "Can I at least get a hint?"

Pellaeon chuckled at his favorite employee's tone; Tahiri had long mastered the art of making her borderline insubordination sound…charming. A trait she had probably learned from Han Solo. "I can do better than a hint." he answered mischievously, "Your brother approached his best friend and I to do some negotiating on his behalf. He feels that he is unsuited for the job and that we can get better terms." Even though the security on Tahiri's comm suite was military-grade, decades of Naval experience taught him that broadcast conversations _always_ had eavesdroppers. Because Tahiri was an orphan, and because very few people knew that her and Anakin had been an item, it would take someone a long time, if ever, to be able to deduce whom Pellaeon was referring to.

Tahiri could only nod absently at his comment as she tried to process what she had heard. _What was Jacen playing at?_ With a sense of bitterness, she reflected that she had ended up on Dagobah the last time Jacen had asked Tenel Ka for help. To be fair, Jacen had apologized profusely and he and Han had gotten her out of that dismal swamp and into a job with Pellaeon, but still…Dagobah. Shuddering at the memory, she asked, "When do you need me?"

The Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy looked at his 'Hand' warmly, "You look like you could use a day off. Can you leave day after tomorrow?" Seeing the blonde's appreciative nod, "Very well. I'll send you a few 'read ahead' notes to your ship so that you can get up to speed. You'll need to be at your brother's best friend's place in a week."

"Terrific." Tahiri answered drolly, getting a wry chuckle from her boss. "I'll call you when I get airborne."

"Very well. I'll have your notes sent as soon as you check in." It was standard procedure for Tahiri to check in with Bastion as soon as she made orbit upon departure, and the capitol would acknowledge with a burst-transmission with new orders. While no communication is one-hundred-percent unbreakable, putting data into a burst-transmission makes it _very_ hard to intercept.

Nodding once, the blonde woman terminated the link. As she did, she reflected that Hapes had never been Tahiri's favorite place to begin with, and now she had to go as a formal representative of the Remnant. _This had better be worth it. _Given her druthers, she decided that she would rather deal with sucker-punching Imperials over backstabbing Hapans.

T

O O(_)O O

The next day on Coruscant….

It was only after the two of them had left the Secretary of State's office and were safely aboard the turbolift before Marné finally allowed herself to relax. Exhaling loudly, she looked over at her boss, her violet eyes narrowing in accusation, "Are _all _of your meetings this contentious?"

Chuckling, Jacen turned to look at his protégé as the lift started descending, "No-o-o." he answered, "This meeting was easy; everyone in that office agreed in principle that we are on the right path with this." With a quarter-turn, the former head of the GAG leaned backwards against the side of the turbolift, keeping his eyes on Marné, "It doesn't turn contentious until you have to talk one of them into something they don't want to do."

The mocha-skinned woman grimaced visibly, "I was afraid of that."

Giving her a knowing look, Jacen asked pointedly, "So, what's your read on Niathal?" Seeing her confusion, he continued, "Remember, you're going to be Senator Thanas's chief of staff in a few months and she's going to lean on you pretty heavily for advice until she can get a better read on everyone. Coruscanti politics is a lot different than what she's experienced on Bakura and it's going to take her a little while to get up to speed."

Leia had done some quiet digging after her conversation with her son and found out that Malinza Thanas had been appointed by the Bakuran Prime Minister to serve out the remainder of the term of their former Senator; the previous office-holder having been implicated in an underage prostitution scandal. Calling to offer her congratulations, Leia casually mentioned she knew of a 'hard-working' secretary who would be looking for a new and Malinza was more than happy to hire Marné sight unseen. "Great," she had told Leia, "My current secretary refuses to come with me, so I'll need a chief of staff."

The Nubian woman nodded resignedly and looked at the floor as she tried to articulate what she could deduce about the Mon Calamari Admiral. Finally, "Admiral Niathal hates this plan. Her body language and tone indicated that she thinks we are losing the initiative by delaying and that we should blow the Corellia out of the sky." Marné looked up at her boss and saw an encouraging smile, "However, she remains a loyal Naval officer and will not complain publicly."

"That's my read as well. And Tyelnis?" Jacen asked, referring to Rosbi Tyelnis, Cal Omas's Chief of Staff.

Here Marné was on firmer ground, it was clear to her that both Rosbi and his boss viewed this as an opportunity to good to pass up. "He's no fool. Both he and Omas know that this would save their careers and solidify their legacy."

Her boss regarded warmly, "Well said." With a quiet 'ding', the door to the 'lift opened and Jacen gestured for her to go first. Quickly catching up, "What about you? How do _you_ feel about this?" Jacen felt her surprise and saw the falter in her step as they made their way to the main entrance of the Senate Rotunda. "Malinza's going to expect you to have an opinion, you know."

Marné nodded at his comment and deliberately chose a different exit door so as to give her a bit more time to articulate her response. After they rejoined on the other side of the bank of doors, she casually made her way to one of the pillars at the base of the domed structure and turned to look at her boss. With a fiery passion in her eyes, she whispered fiercely, "I _hate _them. They hide behind this 'systems rights' smokescreen and are making a mockery of everything we fought and died for. Some systems are _gone_, and the Corellians complain that their taxes are a bit higher than Naboo's? I would love to see Admiral Niathal wipe them off the map." Seeing Jacen's stunned expression, she sighed and looked down at the ground. "But…I'm Nubian and I'm insulting generations of diplomatic legacy by thinking this way."

"Marné?" Jacen said softly, gently raising her chin with his right hand as he looked into her stunningly violet eyes, "I hate them too, and I'm _half _Corellian." Giving her a sad smile, he continued, "But we can't let that get in the way of doing the right thing." From his tone, Marné Pelletier realized that her boss was saying that as much for his benefit as for hers.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the short chapter! The next few chapters formed a hole in my writing, mainly because I was never in the mood to tackle these scenes, so I'm posting as I write for the next few segments. Because of that, I'll be on an every-other week update schedule for a while. (I am a horribly slow writer...I do what you're not really supposed to...edit while I write.

Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, and favorited. A huge call out to 'Chic, Boris, Onimi, 'Sabre-You guys are great!


	20. Chapter 20--We ARE a Committee

**Chapter 20—We ARE a Committee**

Thirty days before Tenel Ka and Jacen get busy on Myrkr...

* * *

The young blonde woman remained seated on the red leather sofa in her boss's modestly decorated office until after the assorted Moffs and Cabinet members had filed out before she allowed herself to relax. With a long exhale, she looked over at the elderly man still sitting stiffly behind his desk and exclaimed, "Well…that was fun. Are all of your meetings this heated?"

Admiral Pellaeon gave his 'Hand' a wry look, "No-o-o, they all saw this plan as an excellent way to regain Imperial prestige; it doesn't get 'heated' until they start to disagree."

Shaking her head, Tahiri muttered bitterly, "I couldn't deal with this sniping on a daily basis. How do you not strangle the lot of them?"

"Well, not being a Jedi helps…it would take me more effort than it's worth for me to choke them out," the white-haired gentleman said drily, earning a dirty look from Tahiri. "Actually, Mr. Mendel's concerns _are_ valid." He said off-hand, referring to the comment about Tahiri being 'a girl sent to do a man's job' by the Imperial Foreign Secretary. "No, I have the utmost faith in you…" Gilad quickly added, seeing his 'Hand's betrayed look. "…but there is a pretty good chance that the Corellians won't take you seriously."

Mollified slightly, Tahiri's tone remained bitter, "Why don't you send someone from his office to negotiate?"

Leaning back in the chair, the elderly head of the Remnant steepled his fingers, and replied warmly, " Because you'll know when they are full of bluster and when they are sincere. It'll take too long for the Foreign Office to cut through the crap." Seeing Tahiri's thoughtful nod, Gilad continued, "Mendel knows that I will send his team to negotiate the final details and that I will give his Office full credit when this is over. He said what he did because he knew that others in the room _wanted_ to, so he beat them to it and allowed me to diffuse the problem without too much rancor."

Tahiri leaned forward and focused on the caf table in front of her as she thought about what he had said. In hindsight, Mendel's comment did not seem to have any malice behind it; in fact, he had sounded almost apologetic in his tone and she found herself re-evaluating her opinion of the Foreign Secretary. "He's a good man, isn't he?" She asked quietly, still focusing on the glass table.

Her boss nodded once, a small smile just visible under his white mustache, "He is." Gilad regarded the young woman for a long moment before addressing her again warmly, "I don't know that I've said this before, but…thank you, Tahiri. You've made this job bearable."

The wayward Jedi snorted once as she nodded in reply, "Sometimes I still can't believe a Jedi is working for the Empire."

"I'm sure Luke grimaces every time he thinks about it."

This earned another snort. "Him and his wife both." Narrowing her green eyes, she regarded the Grand Admiral warily, "What if this doesn't work? What if we can't get the Corellians to back down?"

Her boss sighed a tired sigh, looking for the first time every minute of his eighty-odd years of life. "If it's a fight Gejjen wants, a fight Gejjen gets.

O O(_)O O

For the second time in as many days, Marné walked out of the Senate building with a headache. This time, her and Jacen had met with Chief-of-State Omas at his request about Jacen's 'Corellian' plan...

"This is a bold plan." Omas had stated after he heard of the details, "Bastion has never been willing to stick its neck out this far before. Why are they now?"

The two of them had anticipated this question and Marné had a ready answer. "Because Pellaeon knows that the Empire needs to be seen as…responsible."

Omas smiled politely at the young woman, "Rosbi is right. You _will_ make a fine chief-of-staff for Senator Thanas." His smile became more authentic at seeing Marné's shock and he shot her a wink-it was good to know that he could still surprise people. Turning his attention to Colonel Solo, whose expression seemed to indicate that the young man knew that the Chief-of-State would find out about Marné's new job, his tone turned professional, "They need my assurances that we'll stand behind the deal if they can get one?"

Jacen nodded, "Correct. Coronet needs to know that the Hapans and Imperials are bargaining in good faith."

Omas said nothing as he leaned back in his chair, nodding absently. "What did Admiral Niathal say about increased local autonomy of the Navy and Army?"

Trying to hide his grimace, Jacen opened his mouth to reply, but was beaten by Marné. "We felt it best to cross that skybridge when we came to it."

Omas' blue eyes sparkled mischievously as he gave the pair an understanding nod. "Ah. The 'make-the-old man-tell-his-Admiral-the-bad-news' approach."

Jacen shrugged nonchalantly, "Something like that."

The Chief-of-State snorted once in laughter as he leaned forward, "Okay, Solo…tell the Queen Mother and Grand Admiral Pellaeon that we'll abide in principle to whatever preliminary concessions they can get out of Coronet with the condition that the Corellians drop this stupid secession business. And that we'll want a seat at the table when the final details are ironed out."

Jacen visibly relaxed and smiled, "Of course." Jacen stood and politely took Marné's hand to help her out of her chair, giving it a warm squeeze and shooting her a quick smirk as he did.

As he helped Marné up, Omas replied, "Good work, you two. You'll let me know if you are interested in working in the State Department?"

"Of course." Jacen replied non-committally as the two of them left the Executive Office…

As they exited the Senate building, Marné looked over at her boss, "I'm not sure he trusts Pellaeon."

Despite the seriousness of her demeanor, the former head of the Galactic Alliance Guard could not hide his amusement. "Omas is a politician, he doesn't trust _anyone_." Seeing the young woman's expression soften, Jacen changed subjects. "Do you have any plans for dinner?"

"I do now, apparently," she replied drily. "Where are you taking me?"

Smiling at her reply, her boss shrugged, "I want to run this plan past my mother and let her poke holes in it. We need to be able to submit a pretty blaster-proof plan to the Queen Mother and Pellaeon." Seeing Marné's nod of agreement, he pulled out his comlink. "What kind of pizza do you like?"

O O(_)O O

One day later…

Marné opened the door to her boss's office slowly. Early the day prior, she had barged into his office unaware that Jacen was using his 'off-the-grid' comm console and she had caught her boss flirting with the Hapan Queen Mother via holo. While she glad that her boss had found someone, Marné found herself hoping that she would never again see such a lovey-dovey look again…on anyone. Shivering slightly at the memory of the way-too-sweet look on Jacen's face, she stuck her head through the door and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw him busy at the data terminal. "Colonel….er…Jacen…." Because the two of them were now 'temporary' employees for the Chief-of-State, Jacen had told her to call him by his first name. Old habits are hard to break, however. "…Admiral Pellaeon is on the line."

Jacen looked surprised as he glanced at his watch and did the math to convert to Bastion time. Frowning at the mental math, "Awfully early for him," he commented before looking up at his soon-to-be former assistant, "Very well. I'd like you to join us, if you can."

The young Nubian smiled, Jacen always had a way of making his 'orders' sound voluntary and she reflected it must have been Leia's influence. Nodding in response, she returned back to her desk to forward the call.

Seeing the indicator light on his holo transceiver turn green, Jacen stood and straightened his tunic before activating the holo. Regardless of what the Imperial leader thought of him personally, Jacen would always hold Admiral Pellaeon in high regard and wanted to show the proper respect. As Pellaeon's image flickered into being, Marné quickly snuck into his office and sat in one of the chairs on the left wall, out of sight of the holo cameras.

"Good morning, Admiral." Jacen greeted, giving a polite half-bow. "I was unaware that you'd be in your office this early. If I'd have known, I would have commed you."

The white-haired leader of the Imperial Remnant smiled in response, "You know how us geezers get…we can't sleep and we're always looking for prunes." Jacen chuckled warmly as Pellaeon's face turned serious. "I learned yesterday that you've resigned the GAG." Seeing Jacen's nod, he continued, "It would seem I owe you an apology for my earlier treatment of you."

"No, sir." The younger man replied, keenly aware that Pellaeon was the only person he had ever called 'Sir'. "I am the one who needs to apologize. I didn't pay enough attention to history."

"A problem many of us have. What made you resign?"

Jacen tilted his head to one side, "Our favorite star-gazer told me that I was making a mess of things."

A large smile appeared under the older man's white mustache, he had become rather fond of Danni Quee over the years and was not surprised that she had found a way to stop Jacen from becoming…whatever Jacen was on the verge of being. "She's pretty smart that way." His look became contemplative, "What else is our physicist friend up to nowadays?"

Shrugging apologetically, Jacen answered, "I talked to her about a week ago from Commenor, but I don't know if she's still there. When we talked, she needed some help getting some computers delivered to the Commenori Public Records Office, because they were _still _using flimsi to file records." Seeing the Admiral's confused look, Jacen explained, "Apparently the government has funding issues and won't spend the necessary credits for a file-keeping mainframe. Our friend had procured the computers from Cloud City, but didn't have a way to get them to Commenor, so she called me." Giving the Admiral a 'what-can-you-do' shrug, he continued, "Luckily, I know of a Jedi or two who were chomping at the bit to get off Coruscant for a while."

"I see." Pellaeon replied, "Next time you talk to her, tell her to stop by…it's been too long."

The younger man smiled warmly at the Imperial Admiral's obvious affection for Danni Quee. "I'll do that."

Nodding, Gilad's smile faded, "Okay, down to business. How'd it go yesterday?"

Jacen shrugged, "Not_ too_ bad. Secretary Toombs was almost chomping at the bit to be involved and it took some placating words from Omas's Chief-of-Staff to get him to back down from his demand at getting involved from the outset." Referring the Alliance's Secretary of State who immediately grasped that a deal of this magnitude would give him traction politically. "Once we get past the initial rounds of talks, we're going to have to give him a seat at the table." Pellaeon gave him an understanding nod as the younger man continued, "As we suspected, Niathal was less convinced that this will work, but was placated by the offer from Omas's office to proceed with her battle plans. Toombs and Tyelnis managed go talk her out of a full-scale blockade and instead implement an 'embargo', using only 4 ISD's versus the entire Fourth Fleet."

Gilad smiled, and his tone sounded contemplative, "You know us Navy types: we tend to want to destroy everything that isn't 'us'." Hearing Jacen's snort of laughter, he once again focused on the lame-duck Colonel, "And Chief Omas?" He asked pointedly. Because the Hapans and Imperials were _not_ members of the Alliance, they needed to get tacit approval from the Chief-of-State or this exercise in diplomacy would be purely academic.

Colonel Solo nodded over at Marné and activated the transmitter pointed in her direction. Clearly caught off-guard, the young woman quickly stood and waited for the indicator on the camera to turn green, clearing her throat and shooting her boss an angry look as she waited. Once she knew she was 'live', she started her analysis. "Admiral, Omas got to where he is by keeping his options open, and he knows that this plan is better than anything else on the table." This earned a respectful nod and she continued, "He's on-board with our basic negotiating points, with the understanding that he will disavow knowledge if these go to hell." Pellaeon chuckled at her wording, giving her further confidence to go on. "Like Jacen said, once we've made real progress, Omas will want in to solidify the agreement. I got the feeling that he's okay with giving you and the Hapans the credit if we can avert a crisis, but he wants to be able to claim the idea started on Coruscant."

Looking back at Jacen, Pellaeon nodded at Marné, "She's pretty good when you put her on the spot. Does she have a job lined up?"

Jacen grinned and winked at Marné, it was not everyday an Admiral handed out compliments. "She does. My mother got her a job as Chief-of-Staff for an incoming Senator."

Gilad sighed sadly, "A pity—she's much to smart to be working in the Senate." Turning his attention back to the young woman, "If you ever need a job, let me know. I can use someone of your talents."

Marné smiled and gave the aging Admiral a respectful bow, "I'll do that. Thank you, sir."

The Imperial Officer nodded again and addressed the two of them, "Well, this is better news than I expected, truth be told. I would have preferred Omas to give us more vocal support, but we can't have everything." He paused, his eyes searching Jacen's, "Are you headed back to Hapes?"

"We are. I haven't seen Tahiri in _ages_, and it'll be good to see her again."

"And the Queen Mother, I suspect." Pellaeon added drily, a small smirk on his face. "Be good to her."

Jacen was not sure if the older man meant Tahiri or Tenel Ka, but he suspected that it did not really matter. "I will. We'll be in touch before everyone leaves for Corellia."

The head of the Remnant nodded once and terminated the connection.

After waiting for the Admiral to phase out of view, Marné looked over at her boss with a raised eyebrow. "We?"

Nodding, Jacen busied himself with folding the holo transceiver into its compartment. Not bothering to look up from this desk, he answered, "I'd like you to come with me to Hapes. I think we'd be best served by having you on the negotiating team with Tahiri and Stefan Jodl."

"I can't go to Corellia. I'm a _secretary_. I have no idea how to do this sort of thing."

"Neither does Tahiri." He nodded at where Pellaeon's image had stood, "The Admiral is right, you know how to think on your feet and we're going to need that ability." He smiled, "Besides, you know what Omas will buy off on and what will be a deal-breaker from our end. You'll save us a lot of time later by going now."

Marné gave a defeated sigh, "When do we leave?"

"That's the spirit!" Jacen replied enthusiastically, clearly ignoring the young woman's defeated tone. "We'll leave in three days. Ever been flown in a _Lambda_-class?"

His assistant scowled, "People still fly those? I thought they'd all been mothballed."

Shooting Marné a mock-glare, Jacen rejoined, "Well, I could ask Dad if we could borrow the _Falcon_."

Marné held her hands up in surrender. "There' no need to fight dirty." Her comment earned a wry chuckle from her boss, and she added sardonically, "I would _love_ to take a trip in the _Solo Journey_—don't tell anyone, but I've always had a thing for the _lambdas_."

"You know I can tell when you're lying, right?" Jacen asked drily.

Marné only shrugged as she left his office.

O O(_)O O

Turning back to his data terminal, Jacen stiffened as he heard the almost inaudible sound of a secret escape door opening. "Good afternoon, Lumiya."

"You're getting harder and harder to sneak up on." His not-quite Master replied, pride evident in her voice.

"I've had lots of practice." Jacen rejoined, turning in his chair to look at the older woman.

Lumiya nodded her head in the direction of the office door, "What do you think you're doing?"

Seeing the hardened look in her green eyes, Jacen bit back about a dozen sarcastic replies. Instead, he grimaced at her question and turned to look out his office windows, "I'm _trying_ to stop a war before it starts."

The Sith woman waved her hand dismissively as she stepped closer, "Yes, that's great and all; I mean—What. Are. YOU. Doing?"

Finally catching on, Jacen sighed dejectedly and braced himself for a coming argument, "Oh. That." With everything that had been going on over the last couple of days, he had almost forgotten that his soon-to-be-fired Sith Master did not know of his new career plan.

"Yes. That." Lumiya replied sharply, clearly trying to reign in her volcanic temper, "Do you honestly think that you can save the galaxy as a _fundraiser_?"

Realizing that he was dangerously close to making a Sith Lord _very _angry, Jacen tried his best 'calm down' voice—the one that always worked on his pets all those years ago. "Did you know that kids who take music are ten times less likely to get involved in drugs? Or that kids in bands, orchestras, and choirs are fifeen times more likely to finish high school? Thirty-six times more likely to go to college? I _am _saving the galaxy…I'm just doing it one person at a time." As he talked, he reflected that one of the great things about being a politician's kid is that you learn to be able to recall arcane facts at the drop of a hat. He probably could not beat Lumiya in a lightsabre battle…but a head-to-head debate? Jacen liked his chances.

The Sith woman had no answer and Jacen pressed his advantage, "I've done some research into the matter…there is really not a lot of political opportunity to be had as the head of the secret police unless you count the post-war Empire, and I'm not sure I wish to hold Ysanne Isard as the standard for political progression." Despite still being upset with her apprentice, Lumiya could not help but laugh at the joke. Smiling, Jacen continued, "Being head of fundraising for _Musical Scores_ gives me more 'street-cred' with the populace and I'll still be able to hob-nob a LOT of influential people. I'll be able to use this clout when the next Coruscanti election occurs. In fact…I've already applied for candidacy with my local election officials." When this idea had first come to him on his last flight back from Hapes, Jacen really intended it to be a way simply to get Lumiya off of his back for a while. But, the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of running for public office. He was under no illusion of actually _winning_ an election; he lacked both the required funds and the right 'say nothing controversial' attitude, but he found himself thrilled with the idea of 'fighting the good fight'. Maybe it was time to pick up the family mantle.

Lumiya's green eyes narrowed dangerously, "You should know better than to try and bluff a Sith. The next election of a Coruscanti delegate is not almost eighteen months. According to Alliance election law, candidates aren't allowed to file until one year prior to the general election."

Jacen allowed a satisfied smile; the key to selling misdirection, Lando had told he and Jaina once, was to give_ only_ enough information for the other person to come to a wrong conclusion. _Then_, he had said in the overly suave voice that only Lando could pull off, _you use verifiable facts to correct your 'mark' and they will be too embarrassed to call your bluff a second time._ "That's true for the Galactic Senate…" Jacen admitted smugly, "…but the planetary Council holds their election in eleven months, so I am now registered as a candidate in my district….District 303."

"You're setting your sights rather low. Someone of your background doesn't content themselves with being a lowly Councilman."

Jacen leaned back in his chair, confident that he had managed to buy more time with which to extricate himself from Lumiya's influence, reflecting that the last thing the galaxy needed was an angry Sith Lord on the loose. "They _do_-if they want to be seen as someone who paid their dues politically. Besides—what's the saying? All politics are local?"

"What about saving the galaxy?"

"Why do you think I'm talking with Pellaeon?" Jacen rebutted sharply, frowning at her tone. He and Marné were spending almost _all _of their available time on trying to nail down the key negotiating points, so her cavalier attitude rankled a bit. With a gesture, he waved away her concern, "After this? Let the galaxy figure it out."

O O(_)O O

Sitting on a log by the small fire she had started under a tall conifer, about twenty meters from the _Shadow's_ main hatch, Mara thought about waking her husband from his meditation, but decided against it, figuring he could use the time to himself. The time alone was more the reason she decided to come to Dagobah rather than any sort of 'punishment'—even Jedi Masters need a vacation from time to time and Luke, for whatever reason, still had fond memories of this critter-infested swamp, even as it gave her a case of the creeps.

Half-an-hour later or so, just when Mara was going to head back into the ship to start making dinner, Luke appeared in the hatch of the _Shadow_ carrying a bowl of a spicy-smelling soup in each hand, a thermos hanging from his left thumb. Shaking her head at his continuing attachment to the hot chocolate that was sure to be in the thermos, she got up to grab one of the bowls and eyed him knowingly. "Good nap?"

Trying hard to hide his smirk, Luke nodded a 'thanks' to his wife as she took the thermos and bowl from his left hand. Indignantly, he answered, "I _did_ meditate…some of the way."

Mara said nothing as she sat back down on the log; her green eyes sparkling mischievously. Luke could only shake his head as he sat next to her, asking softly, "Why didn't you wake me when we landed?"

Incredulously, the former Emperor's Hand turned to look at her husband. "If the turbulence of the approach or my mediocre landing didn't wake you, what makes you think _I _was going to be able to?" She paused and turned her attention back to the fire, "Besides….I kinda liked the solitude."

Luke nodded sadly and started to stand, "I'll leave you…"

"No." Mara interrupted, putting a hand on his leg to stop him. "I was just about to go get you. Solitude gets pretty lonely after a while."

Despite himself, Luke chuckled at the bad joke. "That it does." For several minutes, neither of the pair said anything, both content with a comfortable silence. Finally, not wanting to put it off any longer, he risked a glance at the beautiful red head on his right, "You think I should step down?"

Mara let out a long breath as she continued to stare into the fire, "No." She answered, shaking her head, "Such a move would only embolden our critics and increase the anti-Jedi sentiment in the Senate. We need to present a unified front."

The blue-eyed Master cringed slightly at the gentle rebuke, "Not exactly a ringing endorsement of my leadership."

"Masters who pick fights with Queens aren't really eligible for a 'Five Star' rating in my book." Mara rejoined tartly.

With a deep sigh, Luke nodded in agreement, "I deserved that. If Valin or Ben had done something like that, you would have jumped on them like an angry rancor." Mara chuckled as she took a bite of her stew and he continued, "You've obviously been thinking about this a while. What's your plan from here?" After almost two decades of marriage, he knew his wife well enough to know that she _always_ had an 'escape plan' handy for almost every situation and from her long exhale he gathered that she had one now.

Mara nodded as she swallowed, "We…." she shook her head and tried again, looking at her husband meaningfully, "….YOU… need to do a better job delegating. I know that you are trying to relieve everyone of the responsibility of command, but you need to stop. There are a LOT of talented Jedi in the Order…let's make better use of those talents." She leaned over and grabbed his hand, "No more unilateral decisions. As much as it pains me to say this…Kyp was right." Sticking her tongue out at his look of horror, she continued, "We _have_ been 'making crap up as we go.' We need to gather a few of the Master's and come up with a long-term plan of where we want to go. The Order has been only reacting to problems over the last fifteen years; we need to be proactive and start planning for potential problems."

Encouraged by Luke's nod of agreement, Mara pressed on, "I think it would be best to pattern the Order after Nubian government—more of a 'Constitutional Monarchy'—you will still be the visible 'head' of the Order, still be the ultimate authority when we cannot come to a workable consensus; but someone else would be responsible for the day-to-day running of the Order. A 'president pro tempore', if you will."

Again, Luke nodded, clearly impressed with the plan. "A position that would be elected by the rank-and-file?"

Mara shrugged, not having really thought through all the details, "Sure. We could make it a three-year term at first and see how it works." She squeezed his hand again, a predatory grin on her face, "It would be a great stepping-stone for those wanting to follow a career in politics."

Shooting his wife a mock-scowl, "_Don't_ get me started on what I think of that!" He chuckled warmly as Mara bonked into him with her shoulder before turning serious again, "I expected you to read me the riot act for what happened earlier."

"Nah. You're tougher on yourself than I ever could be. We both know what you did on Hapes was exceedingly stupid." Finally, she turned her attention to her husband, her face lined with concern, "Why though? Why does Jacen get under your skin so much?"

Letting out a long breath, Luke unscrewed the cap to the thermos and took a swig before handing it over to Mara. Grimacing as if the hot chocolate were extremely bitter, "I guess I'm disappointed in him," he admitted slowly. "I expected him to have all of the answers. Instead…." Luke trailed off, embarrassed at what he was about to say.

"He only has more questions?" Mara asked gently, knowing that Luke was afraid of admitting that, even to himself. Seeing her husband's chagrined nod, she continued, quoting an old proverb, "'the more we know, the more we don't know.' To Jacen, challenging the _status quo_ is as natural as breathing. Frankly, I find it refreshing."

Taking the thermos from his wife, Luke took another swig before responding. "But what happened to him? He used to be so open." Luke sighed again in frustration, "Now? His best friend has a little girl and he doesn't even _care_."

With a humorless chuckle, Mara shook her head. "You know nothing, Skywalker."

Glancing out of the corner of his eyes, he replied drily. "So you've told me." After several moments of waiting for her to explain, Luke sighed loudly, "Please…educate the uninitiated."

Smiling slyly, the green-eyed Master replied, "It's all a front." Seeing Luke's blue eyes narrow in confusion, she continued, "He and Tenel Ka are feigning indifference to hide their relationship from everyone."

"But why would they…"

"Because it's _Hapes_. You know what the Jedi sentiment is there, even after all these years. Tenel Ka can't just parade Jacen out in front of the Palace and announce to everyone that a Jedi is now the Prince Consort." She paused, thinking it over some more. "Although, I've been reading in the Hapan press about an 'old Jedi friend' being seen at the Palace on a regular basis." Finally, the last piece of the puzzle she had been working on for the duration of the flight clicked into place. "That's what she's doing…Tenel Ka is gradually letting Hapes get used to the idea of Jacen as a suitor."

Luke's eyes narrowed as he thought about it, "That doesn't seem her style."

As much as she hated to admit it, Luke was right. Tenel Ka had never been subtle with her interactions with the public. A flash of insight made her snap her fingers and she looked over at Luke with a triumphant smile, "Isolder. Prince Isolder is leaking the information; he's letting everyone know how lonely his daughter has been and how much her and Allana like having Jacen around."

Nodding appreciatively, Luke had to admit that his wife's discovery _did_ make a lot of sense, and her intuition had served them well many times in the past. "And you're just telling me _now_?"

"I just put it together now." After taking a sip, she continued, "It was only after I saw Tenel Ka's look when you asked her about what Jacen thought of Allana spending time with her father. Tenel Ka was _livid_ that Jacen had gone on that date with his 'celebrity crush'." Mara shook her head sadly, "A woman only feels that kind of jealousy about the man she loves."

Mara let that hang in the air for while, lost in her own memories of loneliness. From her tone, Luke surmised that Mara was speaking from experience and knew better than to try and offer an apology. Saying nothing, Luke gave her hand and affectionate squeeze and waited for her to continue. Giving her husband a sad smile, she picked up where she left off, "Anyway, it's pretty clear to me that she still has deep feelings for Jacen."

"Do you think he reciprocates those feelings?"

"Yeah." Seeing Luke's apprehension, she explained further, "When did you ever know Jacen to go on 'casual' dates?"

Luke wrinkled his brow, trying to remember a time. Finally, he admitted, "Never."

Nodding in agreement, Mara echoed his thought. "Never. Which means….?" She trailed off and looked at Luke expectantly for the answer.

Luke nodded, catching on to her train of thought. "Which means he's doing it now so that he doesn't have to explain to everyone why he doesn't have a girlfriend."

The red-haired Jedi smiled warmly, "Exactly. What better cover than to just have a series of dates?"

"Do you think Allana is his?"

Mara shrugged, "I don't know. Does it really matter?" she asked rhetorically. "All that matters is that he treats her as if she is."

Luke nodded solemnly, knowing her to be right. While he would always hold out hope that his nephew and Tenel Ka could find a way to be a real family, maybe this was as close as they could get. Looking over at his wife, he suddenly felt an immense sadness that Jacen might not ever be able to sit with the love of his life in front of a fire on some Force-forsaken planet. Not for the first time, he felt an immense joy at being 'Mr. Mara Jade'. Slyly, he commented, "We should find a way to covertly tell Isolder that we can help leak information to the press. Maybe 'accidentally' slip a flight record for the _Solo Journey_ to that entertainment holozine."

Mara smirked as she looked at her husband out of the corner of her eye, "Careful, Skywalker, we wouldn't want you to get a reputation."

Luke said nothing as he leaned over and gave Mara a quick kiss. "I'll risk it." He whispered drily, resting his forehead against hers.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the extra long delay, I've been super busy with work. My goal is to post every-other week for a while until I can get ahead of this again. As it stands, I'm pretty much posting as I complete each chapter, something I don't really like to do. Oh well. To all of my fellow servicemen and women of all countries: Happy Memorial Day!


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